Mets prospect Tomas Nido wins Florida State League batting title

Known more for his prowess behind the plate, Tomas Nido broke out in a big way in 2016 with his bat. The 22-year-old catcher from Puerto Rico won the Florida State League batting title with a .320 batting average.

Nido began the season hot, batting .313 in 18 games in April, but slowed down in May, hitting .254 in 19 games. He hit his stride in June and July, hitting .300 and .405, respectively. He began to tail off in August, batting .245 in 15 games and dropping his batting average from .322 to .310, but hit an even .500 in four games in September to raise it to .320.

Drafted in the eighth round of the 2012 amateur draft, Nido utilized a swing that seemed ill-suited for a high batting average. Analyzing his upper body, he started his hand load high, dropped them to his belt, and then raised them high again. Analyzing his lower body, he utilized both a toe tap and an exaggerated leg kick. The two contributed to inconsistent timing, inconsistent weight transfer, and an inconsistent swing path. Over the course of the season, Nido went about shortening his swing, putting priority on making contact and driving the ball up the middle or away.