Nick Plummer: The First Mets Player to HR In Each of His First Two Career Starts

Nicholas Raymond Plummer was born July 31st, 1996, in Lathrup Michigan. The five-foot ten outfielder bats left-handed & throws righthanded. He was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the first round of the 2015 amateur draft, the 23rd overall pick.

Plummer would miss the entire 2016 season due to a wrist injury. He returned having a miserable 2017 where he batted just .198 in 92 games. His next years were just as bad at the plate, he batted .205 in 2018 & then .176 in 2019. Then came the Covid-19 season where he did not play at all.

In 2021 he had his best minor league season, batting .280 with 15 HRs & 54 RBIs. On July 8th, he hit three HRs including a walk off HR for the Springfield Cardinals. He was named Player of the Month with 6 HRs five doubles & 21 RBIs batting .326.

He then set a team record reaching base safely in 33 straight games. He was promoted to the AAA Memphis Red Birds.

At the end of the season, after not being promoted to the Cardinals big league club, he elected free agency. On November 24th, he was signed by the New York Mets.

Mets Career: On April 15th, he made his Mets MLB debut as a defensive replacement. The next night he got his first at bat as a 7th inning pinch hitter lining out. He would get sent back down to AAA then returned on May 28th, finishing a game as a defensive replacement.

The next night, he started in left field. After mis playing a ball in the 3rd inning, allowing Odubel Herrera to reach with a double he redeemed himself later. 

He led off the 9th inning after the Phillies scored three runs to go ahead & on the first pitch from closer Corey Knebel, he hit a game tying HR for his first career hit. He was the 14th Mets player to hit a HR for his first career hit. 

Quotes- Nick Plummer: "Pretty surreal, really no words."

The last to do it was the 2022 Mets pitching Jeremy Hefner in 2012. The Mets went on to the win on Eduardo Escobar's walk off double.

The next night he set his own franchise record, when he homered off the Nationals Austin Voth, in the 4th inning of the Mets 13-5 win. Plummer became the first Mets player to HR in each of his first two career starts.

Plummer cooled off after that going hitless in his next seven games, thru June15th.

On June 16th, his 8th inning fielder's choice on a wacky play, scored Starling Marte who was pinch running at third base. The run proved to be the game winning run. In the top of the 9th he had an outfield assist throwing to Pete Alonso who threw to Tonas Nido nailing Hunter Renfro who was trying to score.

After going 0-3 in Miami, Plummer was sent back down to AAA Syracuse. At the big-league level, he batted .138 with 2 HRs & 6 RBIs. At the end of the season, he was granted free agency.

He signed on with the Cincinatti Reds & was released at the end of Spring Training.