New York Mets catcher Tomas Nido was the backup to Wilson Ramos when summer camp ended but only received 24 at-bats on the season. A bout with COVID-19 ended a strong start to his season that never received a proper finish due to lingering issues after.
Have yourself a DAY, Tomas Nido!#LGM pic.twitter.com/yHusBXQwBr
— Amazin' Army (@WE_ARE_MET_FANS) August 13, 2020
Nido’s playing time was sparse as he only appeared in seven games (six starts) over the three weeks he was healthy. He took advantage of the playing time, recording a hit in all but his final game of the season. The memorable game for Nido came against the Washington Nationals. Nido recorded two home runs and six RBIs, joining an elite group of Mets catchers to pull off the feat.
On defense, it was clear that he was the better catcher defensively. Nido only threw out one baserunner in six tries, but his work framing the ball continued to shine. In the limited sample size, he a 48.5% strike rate, it was slightly below his normal rate, but there was nothing that proved it was declining.
Battle With COVID-19
Nido was the only Met to get COVID-19 during the regular season, and it ended his season. He did not play in a single game after August 18 due to the virus and the related complications. While he did not contract the virus the entire rest of the season, it was not enough for him to get back to rejoining the Mets.
Overall, he was far better than expected with the bat during the games he played in. He slashed .292/.346/.583 with two home runs and six runs batted in. While most of that production came in one game, it still was enough for the Mets to depend on him as their backup catcher in 2021. Even if the offense is not productive, the pitching staff loves throwing to him. Should they miss out on J.T. Realmuto or James McCann, they will still have a reliable defensive catcher in Nido.
2020 Grades On 20-80 Scale (2021 Projection)
Hitting: 60 (25), Still hitting under .200 for his career.
Power: 80 (30), Think there is enough power to get into double digits in a full season, but that is his max.
Run: 20 (20), Probably the fastest catcher on the roster, but that is not saying much.
Arm: 55 (55), Very effective when the pitchers help him by holding on runners.
Field: 60 (60), Great pitch framer, and pitch caller.
Overall: 65 (35), Small sample size hero.