NL WILD CARD SERIES: METS VS BREWERS

October 1, 2024

Brandon Nimmo

American Family Field

New York Mets

Pregame Press Conference

BRANDON NIMMO: I honestly think probably when leaving the clubhouse switched from celebration mode to locking it back in. We even had to -- right when we got on the plane, we had to decide on business kind of stuff as far as playoff shirts go and all that stuff.

So they just said, hey, we need this by the end of the flight. So you can't be drunk and handing that stuff out.

(Laughter).

Yeah, otherwise somebody's going to get way too much and somebody's not going to get enough.

So honestly, by the time we were on the plane, everybody's still in a great mood and feeling really good, but you are locking it back in. I know for me coming down a little bit, you're on such a high and you're playing 18 innings, which it's not just a regular 18 innings. There was a lot of emotion in that first game.

Then coming down off of that, you get pretty tired and then hit the hay later. So I would say, yeah, around the flight is when we started to lock it back in.

Q. You're the longest tenured player on the team. You got here right after the run in in 2015. How -- and I don't know if this is the right word, but unfulfilling has it been that you haven't been able to win a playoff series during that stretch?

BRANDON NIMMO: I know. I know. It's been fortunate to be a part of three, but having not won a playoff series, like you said, I think the biggest thing that I've noticed is the teams that make it a regular thing of getting in here, they seem to then have success as they -- unless you hit, you know, you just hit that spark and you go. Obviously Arizona did that last year.

Then you had the Phillies as a Wild Card the year before that. So I do like that pattern and heading into it kind of this feels like regular season because we literally played a double header yesterday and now we're playing again today. So there's no off day in between.

Tyrone and I were talking about it on the way here. It actually brings a sense of normalcy to it. Maybe that will work to our advantage.

It's definitely been a journey, and it's one that I'm not finished on, but that's the goal is to start making this a regular thing and to start having success in the postseason.

I would say that nobody at the beginning of this season thought we would even be in this position. For us right now, to be here is a huge accomplishment, but I know for the guys in the locker room and for myself, like we're not here just to roll over. We think we're a really great team, and we really think that we have a shot. The last two postseasons would point to the fact that Wild Card teams seem to have something about them.

We're going to look to bring it and give it everything we have, but winning that first postseason series will definitely be the right step in many steps of this goal of winning a World Series, but it's a crucial one I haven't gotten to yet.

Q. We've seen more stolen based around the game the last couple years obviously, so it's not as rare I guess, but the Brewers did have the most of any playoff team. What makes them a challenge in that aggressive style that they have?

BRANDON NIMMO: No, you're exactly right. Before the stolen bases, the way that you scored runs was you either hit extra base hits so that you got into scoring position right away, or you hit the home runs. This way you can get the singles, but then you steal the bag, and now you're in scoring position. Now all they need is a single in order to score a run.

With the pitching that they've had, that is sometimes all they need. So it makes them very, very dangerous on the ability for them all to just be able to get up even just like a swinging bunt single, now we can steal the bag, and now we're in scoring position. All we need is a little single, it doesn't have to be much. It can be off the end of the bat, nothing. It just puts more pressure on the defense.

So for them they've built a great winning formula around that, where they've put a bunch of really great athletes into the lineup, and then you throw Contreras, and when they had Yelich, and obviously Hoskins has hit his fair share of home runs. We had the grand slam on Friday. And Willy Adames having the year he's had. You throw those three in there with a really athletic team who's trying to get that bunt single, whatever it may be, and get on base on then steal and then be in scoring position, it puts a lot of pressure on the defense.

They've had a lot of success with that, and that's been a great recipe for them, and I think that is what led to their success.

Q. You guys have spent the past six months just proving that you're a playoff team, that you're good enough to be that. You touched on it a minute ago. Does a switch kind of flick like once you're in the playoffs like, hey, now we're just as good as anybody else?

BRANDON NIMMO: Yes.

Q. Do you just narrow the focus and say we have to win however many games to get to the World Series? How does the thinking change?

BRANDON NIMMO: Yes and no. The thinking doesn't change much to what we've done over the last month or two, just try to win one game at a time. Even just getting into the playoffs was a daunting scenario for us where we had to win a bunch of games in order to make the playoffs.

But you can't think about winning all those games until you win today's. So the playoffs are the same situation. You have however many X of games to win in order to be a World Series champion, and it's probably less than we were a month ago. But in order to do that, you've got to take care of today.

So the thinking stays the same, but also on that same aspect, like it doesn't really matter what the season series was against the Brewers or the Padres or like -- none of that matters. You've just got to focus on, well, it only matters who wins this series. No matter what you did -- and we knew that in 2022, and obviously the Padres beat us then.

I've been on the other side of that, and here, it's no different. It doesn't matter what has happened in the past. It's all about who's hot right now and who's playing the best baseball right now.

It's kind of almost like a new start to the season. It's a new Opening Day and it's whoever's the best team right now, and you just focus on winning right now.

Q. Following up on the Brewers and their ability to steal bags and the pressure that applies, as you said. On Sunday, you guys came out and did basically that. Was that a conscious decision on you guys' part?

BRANDON NIMMO: We try and take advantage of places that we feel like we can take advantage of. If we feel that this pitcher has a slower time or whatnot, then we'll try to take advantage of that.

There's always risk and reward, right? So if the risk is too great for the reward of it, then no, we do have a lineup that can beat you a few different ways. But if you can take that bag, you should.

I definitely think it's a part of our game plan, but we're also not in the business of just trying to run in outs. We're trying to do it smart and efficient, but if it's in the cards, we definitely want to take that bag. Like I said, it puts a lot of pressure on the defense.

It's something that is a part of a lot of our guys' game, but we just want to make sure it's outweighing the risk.

Q. We just talked a lot about how hard it's been for the Mets to win in Atlanta. You all had some trouble winning here as well the last couple years. Why has it been so hard to win here, and how can you go about changing that?

BRANDON NIMMO: I think both those organizations have had very good teams over the last few years. So that's number one, you have to have a good team in order to make them hard to beat.

The second thing, in order to get a little more specific, the Brewers have had very, very good pitching and very good bullpen, especially this year, best bullpen in the NL. When you can get quality starts -- Freddie Peralta obviously is an ace and has been for a little bit now, and then you get to a bullpen that is actually just shutdown and hardly gives up runs, it makes it really hard.

You have to have like one big hit, a big home run, or even that scenario of getting on base and stealing the bag and getting another -- you still need another base hit, and that sometimes is hard to come by when you're facing that good of pitching.

The Brewers also have just made it a point to be very, very sound in all aspects of the game. I think they've played very, very good baseball the last couple years, especially to where they play good defense, they run the bases well, they have great relief pitching, they have great starting pitching, and there's really just no holes.

Like they're not going to beat themselves. It's not like they're going to out slug you all the time, but they will not beat themselves, and a lot of times that kind of baseball wins out over the long run.

Q. Along the same lines about playing the Brewers, we just finished the series with them this weekend where you were battling for your playoff lives kind of situation. Can you take anything away from the three games this weekend, or was it a little bit different because maybe they were already setting themselves up? What do you take from that?

BRANDON NIMMO: It's different. Don't get me wrong, they're a great team and it all matters, but in that situation, they had already locked up the playoffs. We're still playing for it. They already have pretty much their rotations and even their relievers are already kind of said you're going to pitch this inning, you're going to pitch this inning, you're -- because they want everything set up for this series.

Now, if you lose two games, you're done. There's a difference in playing that way compared to, well, we're in the postseason, and these games -- yeah, we want to try and win, but like we're trying to get ready for the postseason. Those are two completely different situations in the competitive mindset.

This will be different in that mindset. I don't know the outcomes. You guys don't know the outcomes, but what I do know is that the mindsets are completely different. That first game that we played in Atlanta was completely different than the three games that we played here because both teams' lives were on the lines for that.

That competitive difference and mindset, it makes all the difference in the world. Now, they got to see some of our pitchers. We got to see some of theirs. That all will go into play and how you're doing recently, no doubt. But the competitive nature of the games is a bit different.

Q. Sort of following up on your assessment of the Brewers, David Stearns had a big hand in putting that roster together. Obviously there's been some turnover since he left, and then put together the Mets roster. Do you see any similarities in how the teams are put together and where the difference is as well?

BRANDON NIMMO: Yeah, definitely. Similarly, I think David made it very clear that he wanted to have a good defense when he came over here, and he made some switches in order to improve our defense. Then he pointed to pitching, like we need good pitching and we need a lot of depth with it.

I think that's something he did here with the Brewers as well. Then another thing is we brought in Antoine, and we focus more on stealing bags this year and try to take advantage of that when the opportunity arises. So you are seeing a lot of similarities as to he built a winning formula here and knows how to do it, and he's brought a lot of that similarity into the Mets, even in just one year.

But I think you're going to continue to see that, and then I also think you're going to see the little bit of difference will probably come later with probably just his ability to spend more when he's got Steve as his owner.

I don't think that's just going to give him -- he's not going to veer from what he thinks is important. I think he's just going to add to it. So I do think you're seeing a lot of similarities into how he built the Brewers and how he's building the Mets.

Q. You talked earlier about how you score in the playoffs and home runs are a big part of that in October. Two years ago, I think your offense averaged more runs per game than this year, but you guys hit more home runs this year. Do you think that leaves you better equipped for October baseball than two years ago?

BRANDON NIMMO: We'll see. Historically, you would say yes because home runs -- I don't know. I think I saw some crazy stat last year, whoever hit the most home runs would end up winning 80 percent of the time. It might have ended up being even more than that.

I saw that this year, and I was like, goodness, that's a pretty important stat. So yes, I think it is very important, and I think it does tend to analytically lean us to be able to have more success, but we'll see.

It's not always like necessarily the Brewers' game. They will hit the home runs, don't get me wrong. They've got the middle of the lineup that will, but I've also seen like, when I watched playoffs in the past, I watched Giants, and when they won their series, it was really, really great pitching and they had some clutch hits. They weren't always home runs.

It was just, they'd get a single when a guy's on base. Anyway I feel like there are stories of both in the past, but I would tend to believe, yes, when one swing can change the game, just like it did yesterday with Francisco at the end of the game. I would tend to believe that can lead to more success.