51s center fielder Nimmo looking to clear final hurdle before Big League call

Watching the 51s at the plate, there is no doubt who is next to be called up should the Mets need an outfielder.

Brandon Nimmo was New York’s first-round draft selection in 2011, going No. 13 overall. The center fielder has waited his turn in the minor leagues and can smell the outfield grass at Citi Field.

He’s almost ready. He just needs one thing: experience at the outfield corners.

“From their perspective, they want me to be able to be flexible, and from my perspective, it opens up two more jobs,” Nimmo said. “Now there’s three job openings for me instead of just one.”

Nimmo is a natural center fielder but the problem for him is that the Mets have a pretty good one of those already. Juan Lagares has the 2014 Gold Glove award on his mantel and is signed to a team-friendly contract through 2019.

So if Nimmo is going to make the big club, it likely will need to come at one of the corner outfield spots. And just two weeks ago, the Mets told 51s manager Wally Backman to start getting his center fielder accustomed to left and right.

Once he gets comfortable at the corners, it may be the last hurdle Nimmo needs to clear in order to get the call.

“I would say he’s not that far off, but he needs some serviceable time at the corners,” Backman said of when Nimmo could be ready for the majors. “More so in left. He can play right.”

Nimmo had started 347 minor leagues games in the outfield entering Sunday: 321 in center, 22 in left and just four in right. Of his 26 corner outfield starts, 20 came at Double-A Binghamton in 2014.

It’s pretty clear when the Mets gave Backman the OK to start the carousel on Nimmo’s outfield play. In April and May, he played just twice in a position other than center field, both in right. Since June 1, he has played seven games: three in center and two in each of the corners.

Nimmo’s bat could play in the majors tomorrow. He boasted a triple slash line of .325/.403/.521 with 25 walks and 37 strikeouts in 222 plate appearances entering play Sunday.

The only thing Nimmo doesn’t do at the plate is hit home runs — just five this season and only 30 in a six-year minor league career.

But homers aren’t part of his game. His game involves a patient approach with gap-to-gap power. Even if balls aren’t leaving the yard, he has 15 doubles and four triples, many to the opposite field.

“That’s his approach, to drive the fastball into the gap,” Backman said. “He’s come a long way. Having him last year and having him this year, he’s really freed up his swing.

“He’s becoming a pretty good hitter right now.”

His batting average, slugging percentage and .923 OPS are all higher than any full season he has had in the minors.

With his position in flux, Nimmo said he feels at home in the batter’s box.

“That’s where you can keep things the same,” Nimmo said. “Even though things are changing in the outfield, you’re able to just come to the plate and you’re in the same spot in the box every time.”

Nimmo knows the Mets are high on his potential. He could have his dream realized at any point this summer. His manager said he expects Nimmo to wear the interlocking N and Y before the end of the season.

When will that be? Nimmo isn’t concerned about that.

“I hope sometime in the future, but I just don’t know when,” Nimmo said. “I’m not really too worried about it. I’m just worried about trying to polish everything up and get everything good to go before that decision does happen.”