It’s always important to have key veterans in your clubhouse, especially when you’re trying to instill a different type of culture like Skip Schumaker is doing with the Texas Rangers.
Enter Brandon Nimmo, who the Rangers acquired from the New York Mets in exchange for Marcus Semien this offseason. Nimmo spent had spent his entire career with the Mets and comes to Texas for his age 33 season to help revive a Rangers offense that has largely been dormant for the last two seasons.
Nimmo, who slashed .262/.364/.438 last season in New York, will likely be the Rangers’ leadoff hitter and is a key to Texas getting back to the playoffs in 2026.
He joined Foul Territory on Sunday and spoke on a variety of topics, including his role as a mentor to the Rangers’ young players, his early impressions of Skip Schumaker and more.
Rangers
On his role as a leader in the clubhouse, especially for the Rangers’ young players like Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford and how he sees himself being a mentor for them
Brandon Nimmo: I had mentors, Jay Bruce, Curtis Granderson, even David Wright and they just showed me how to conduct myself, both on and on the field, how to try and find the 1% and the edges that you can win, that you can find a little bit extra that gives you the edge in this game. This game is a marathon. I tried to play the game really hard in the beginning, it was lay out for everything, put your body on the line each and every day and it was actually Jay Bruce that came up to me and was like: “Hey man, I love the way that you play the game, but I need you out there for 150, 160 games and in order to do that I need you to play smarter, not harder.” That really struck me as a younger guy, that I needed to re-evaluate that so that I can be available more often and do good things more often. I think it’s my turn to try and impart some of these things, some of the wisdom that I learned along the way to [Evan] Carter, to [Wyatt] Langford and to all the young guys that are here.
Also, just coming from other organizations, you guys do things slightly different and you find, ”OK, this really worked for me here, but then this is kind of how we do things here,” and you try that out and you see how it works. I think bringing these different thoughts to the clubhouse and being able to communicate and talk about it is how you lead best. You lead by example, I’m really big on that, first and foremost. It doesn’t always look the same, but as long as the intent is there. We want guys to be using their brain, this can be the biggest separator in this game, is the wisdom, the knowledge, knowing the game of baseball, that baseball IQ. Everyone is extremely talented here in the big leagues and you’re just trying to find that little bit of an edge that will give you the ability to win the game. A lot of times it’s won or lost on two pitches. So for me, my job is to try and mentor those guys and have them really start using the mind in order to be the separator. Some of the things that I’ve learned along the way, pass it on to them and let them try it out. If it works, great, if it doesn’t, that’s alright too. Just giving them a few different ways to look at things, think things through. I was so fortunate to have great mentors in my career that has allowed me to get to this position and I want the same for them. The more that they’re on the field, the more that they are able to use their mind and let their talent really shine, because we all know they’re extremely talented, the better it’s going to be for the Texas Rangers. That’s my goal and that’s my responsibility on this team.
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On his excitement of joining the Rangers
Nimmo: It just became abundantly clear that I was really, really wanted here by the Rangers. You want to be where you’re wanted, you want to be where you’re appreciated and the Rangers made it abundantly clear. Now, I’m a Texas Ranger and excited about it. Excited to get this season going and get to know all the guys in the clubhouse. Definitely, it’s weird, but I’m settling in nicely, the guys have been nothing but amazing to me, really just helping me to settle in here.
On his early impressions of Skip Schumaker
Nimmo: Very difficult position to fill coming in after a Hall of Fame manager. I think that, first thing’s first, I love the way that Skip managed and presented himself when I was across the line from him when he was with the Marlins. I thought he made his team better, I thought he made his team one that was formidable and feared, everybody knew that they had a fight on their hands when they played them. I think he brings that same intent to the Rangers now. He understands this game is very difficult. He played it and he played it at the highest level. He brings some of the knowledge from playing the game to the managerial spot, but also knowing that this is what I should expect from you each and every day, and him being a very good communicator in that as well. That’s what I’ve noticed in the beginning. I think really good managers are very good communicators. They know how hard this game is and what to expect from their players and what the players should expect from their manager. Once you nail that down, I think you let the relationship build on itself. It’s not going to look the same from each player to each player. My relationship with him is going to look different than [Corey Seager’s]. Corey’s relationship with him is going to look different than Wyatt’s. But I think him being in contact with us and being a great communicator, which he’s already shown, is going to lead to success for him.
What we learned about the Rangers this week: Olympics fun and young bullpen options Texas Rangers top 30 prospects: No. 30 Mason McConnaughey looks the part of a starter
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