Oftentimes, we have pretty good feel for who would be there. High School: Redmond HS (Redmond, WA), School: Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR), Debut: In just his second game with the Mets, Michael Conforto is already making an impact. March 1, 1993 10 overall) of the 2014 MLB Draft out of Oregon State University signed with the Mets on June 19, 2014 NY Mets Uniform #30ranked the No. I might ask him to move out here or something.". New York extended an $18.4 million qualifying offer in November to Conforto, who turned it down to test free agency. Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. When you were drafted there were a lot of draft experts that said you were below average defensively in left and you might not stick there. Conforto was selected by the Mets in the first-round of the 2014 MLB draft out of Oregon State University. Signed thru 2024, 2 yrs/$36M (23-24), Service Time (01/2023): 6.043 Huge congratulations to Michael Conforto from two St. Lucie Mets season ticket holders. Michael Conforto had a .255 average over his career. She always preached that to me. Conforto's father says his son tends to play better when he's in the stands. I was all sports. Conforto grew up as a Mariners fan, idolized Ken Griffey Jr. and attended the 2001 All-Star Game at Safeco Field. (Howard Simmons/New York Daily News). He made a goal-line stop to force the opposition to settle for a field goal, swinging the game's momentum. To appreciate how he wound up at Jacoby Ellsburys alma mater (Conforto met the Yankees outfielder a couple of times on campus), you first must know about Confortos family tree. Still, Long almost immediately noticed a hitting flaw Conforto was striding toward third base, making it almost impossible to get solid contact on inside pitches. BINGHAMTON Haggard town, run-down ballpark. He's got it," Mets manager Terry Collins said. Shortly thereafter, Smith appeared via Zoom and wept during an emotional press conference. That's against MLB rules, which state a player must attempt to move out of the way of a pitch if possible. Video shows Cowboys Prescott taking snaps, moving well, Thamel: Millers firing tells truth about coaching in NCAA, Former Florida State, Giants WR arrested on murder charges, Rapinoe blasts Warriors Green for takes on womens sports. While the end result wasn't what they'd hoped for -- New York fell to Kansas City in the World Series, 4-1 -- Conforto became just the third player (and first rookie) in baseball history to appear in all three tournaments, joining Ed Vosberg and Jason Varitek. LF Michael Conforto assigned to Binghamton Mets from St. Lucie Mets. vs. LAD 3 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB, Rookie Status: 20,963rd in major league history) It's unclear whether MLB will do anything to punish Conforto or the Mets for the play. Almost a year removed from that injury, Conforto will once again look to find a landing spot once the 2022-23 free agency season begins after the conclusion of the World Series. This is a BETA experience. "I told him that when I would walk out to compete, sometimes I would get so nervous that my hands would go numb," she recalled. 100 AB)Drove in 19 runs in 17 games vs. the Phillies, the most by any player in 2018, including a careerhigh six RBI on September 17 at PhiladelphiaOnly Mike Piazza (22 RBI in 2002) and Darryl Strawberry (20 RBI in 1987) have had more RBI against Philadelphia in a season in Mets historyHomered in his third at-bat of the season in his return from the Disabled List on April 5 at WashingtonWas recovering from surgery, performed on September 6, 2017, to repair a tear in the posterior capsule in his left shoulder after suffering a dislocated left shoulder on August 25, 2017Clubbed a Statcast-estimated 472-foot homer on August 27 at Wrigley Field, the longest home run by a Mets hitter since Statcast began tracking data in 2015Homered in three-straight games for the first time in his career, September 8-11. Your Rookie Season. But the 22-year-old leftfielder is, after all, the son of a Penn State linebacker. He was a good fit for Michael.. Draft: 2014, New York Mets, Round: 1, Overall Pick: 10. Yet while Conforto isnt prime Dave Parker or Ichiro Suzuki in right field, he has a knack for positioning himself to make terrific plays (like this one against the Orioles in September 2020), throws (like this one to cut down the Braves Abraham Almonte at the plate to preserve a 2-1 Mets win on July 28) and catches (like this one, potentially his last at Citi Field as a member of the Mets). All rights reserved. He went to the College World Series in 2013, in his sophomore year at Oregon State. Craig's older brother, Ron, played on their offensive line. Regarding his educational background, Michael Conforto attended Redmond High School in Redmond, Washington where he was on both the football and baseball Maybe he was raw in comparison to the high school kids getting drafted, the Mets executive said. Perfect Game USA rates him as the No. And with the Mets run-production crisis, that curiosity is quite intense. Strained right hamstring. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. That was kind of the attitude I took every day when I was at Oregon State.. San Francisco Giants activated LF Michael Conforto. Conforto made it back for the second week of the 2018 season and hit .250 with 61 homers, 174 RBIs and an OPS+ of 125 tied for 29th in the bigs with, among others, future Mets teammate Francisco Lindor and fellow future 2021-22 free agent Nick Castellanos while playing in 304 of the Mets 324 games from 2018-19. We've received your submission. Its not my call, all I can do is prepare myself and show up in New York and wherever Im at and show up with the right attitude and the right work ethic and my play on the field will speak for itself. His father, Mike is an Italian American who played inside linebacker at Penn State. All I can control is what I do on the field and the way I show up every day. With the teams set to play two more games in the series, it wouldn't be a huge shock to see Conforto get hit again before the weekend is over. Just over a month into his stay at Double-A Binghamton, less than a year since his professional debut, the lefty-hitting left fielder has made the sort of impression reserved for the games most touted prospects. New York Mets signed OF Michael Conforto. RUPete. LF Michael Conforto assigned to St. Lucie Mets from Savannah Sand Gnats. Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis. This is how Michael Conforto, the 10th pick in last year's MLB draft, hits, his swing sweet and compact, the line drives spraying from foul line to foul line. Conforto, 29, played his first seven seasons in New York, where he was a .255 hitter with 132 home runs, 396 RBIs and an .824 OPS. R. R. Podcast: Early hitting leaders facts or flukes? Data Provided By Conforto has collected 15.7 WAR per Baseball-Reference.com, which doesnt even rank among the top 24 in Mets history. He'll just kind of fall back into it. The younger Conforto credited Casey and his deputies, Pat Bailey (associate head coach) and Nate Yeskie (assistant coach), for improving his swing mechanics, his understanding of the strike zone and his mental approach to the game. I was doing baseball, football, basketball.. Michael Conforto didn't just get the first, second, third and fourth hits of his big-league career in a 15-2 victory over the Dodgers. Hes lit a fire under me a few times when I needed it. Conforto, whose Dad played college football at Penn State and whose Mom was an Olympic swimmer, has always carried himself with a maturity and self-awareness beyond his years. And that left-handed swingConforto might not quite be Will Clark, but when hes rolling and spraying the ball to all fields, its hard not to envision him as a franchise player capable of anchoring the middle of a lineup well into the back half of this decade. Penn State moves up two spots after Rose Bowl win in final AP top 25 rankings of 2022 season. For Conforto's father, watching his son reach the highest level of his sport has been a treat. "I don't know what it is. Michael Conforto had 132 home runs over his career. Conforto adjusted in September, and he went 5 for 15 with four RBIs in the World Series against Kansas City, homering twice in Game 4. pic.twitter.com/Y9pjj1S3VC, Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) April 8, 2021. Still, as mom points out, her son's injuries occurred while playing baseball. LF Michael Conforto assigned to FSL South Division All-Stars. Conforto breaks out for four hits with his father watching from the stands. Name: Michael Conforto Age: 22 (March 1, 1993) Birthplace: Woodlinville, WA Bats/Throws: L/R Ht: 6 1 Wt: 211. Exceeded rookie limits during 2015 season, 2023 Contract Status: Some high school data is courtesy David McWater. Michael Conforto, the Mets' top prospect who's been tearing up Double-A and looks on the verge of making his big league debut, was then standing on first base. If Conforto was hoping to get some help from the Mets' broadcasting booth, that wasn't going to happen. Leave us some feedback and we'll reply back. The son agreed, and a little while after giving his team all manner of comfort and support, Michael Conforto the son talked about "really, really special" it was to have his first four big-league hits in front of his father. Maybe it's just that it calms me a little bit. Shes golfing. Conforto's pedigree is much more unusual in baseball. Apodo: Forto. He didn't just pick up his second RBI in two games. Made his first Opening Day rosterWas with New York from Opening Day-June 25, July 18-August 12 and from September 1-end of the seasonHit a career-high 12 homersSeven of his 12 home runs either gave the Mets the lead or tied the gameHad 17 home runs through his first 100 games as a Met, tied for the third-most in team history behind Darryl Strawberry (22) and David Wright (20)Batted .365 (27-74) with 11 doubles, four home runs, 18 RBI and 15 runs scored in 21 games during AprilHit .174 (40-230) with 10 doubles, eight home runs, 24 RBI and 23 runs scored in 88 games from May through the remainder of the seasonHad six consecutive games with a double from April 24-30, tying a franchise record by Joe Christopher from August 14-18, 1964..Had a career-best 17 game on base streak from April 10-30Batted .377 (23-61) with a .443 OBPHit a three-run homer on Sept. 23 vs. Philadelphia, his first since going deep on August 7 at DetroitFinished the game 2-3 with three RBI, matching a career-high (fifth time)Over his final 12 games dating to Sept. 18, Conforto went 7-23 (.304) with two doubles, one homer, eight RBI and six runs scoredHit .422 (54-128) with eight doubles, two triples, nine home runs, 28 RBI and 30 runs scored in 33 games with Las Vegas (AAA) of the Pacific Coast League. The father did the next best thing, getting an early flight Saturday, flying across the country with his girlfriend, Heather, his sister Carleen and brother-in-law Scott. Michael Conforto made last year. That's precisely what the Marlins tried to do. Marlins during a game at Citi Field on September 2, 2021 in New York City. The elder Michael Conforto misses his son's big-league debut but gets to see his breakout game. She thought back to 2012, his freshman season with the Beavers. The Mets drafted him 10th overall in 2014, three picks after the Phillies selected Aaron Nola. The Mets want Conforto to be a major piece of a team that starts a new trend the other way. Hes not nearly as rambunctious as Pete Alonso, but Conforto knew enough to go with it when Alonso raced towards him and ripped off his shirt to begin a 2019 stretch drive tradition following Confortos walk-off hit on Aug. 9. Michael the father joked about how the acquisition of Juan Uribe and Johnson makes his son only the third-newest Met position player. After being activated from the Disabled List on April 5, played in a career-high 153 of the Mets' 157 remaining gamesMade 141 starts, including 74 in left field, 56 in center field, 10 in right field and one as the DHSet career highs in hits (132), runs (78), home runs (28), RBI (82), doubles (25), walks (84) and stolen bases (3)Ranked among NL leaders in road homers (17, tied for fourth), walks (eighth) and go-ahead home runs (11, tied for 14th) and home runs (15th)Became the ninth player in franchise history with at least 27 home runs in consecutive seasonsThe last Met to do so was Lucas Duda (2014-2015)Reached base safely in his first 20 games of the season, the longest on-base streak of his careerThe 20-game on-base streak to begin a season was the ninth-longest in Mets historyAfter the All-Star break, ranked fourth in the majors with 52 RBI, was tied for seventh in the majors with 17 home runs and tied for ninth with 33 extra-base hitsWas second in the majors with 29 RBI and tied for fourth with nine homers in SeptemberThe last Mets hitter with at least nine homers and 29 RBI in a month was Carlos Beltrn (10 HR, 32 RBI in July 2006)Was one of five left-handed hitters with double-digit homers against lefty pitchersOnly Texas' Joey Gallo (15) had more than Conforto's 10 blasts against southpawsJust two other lefties in Mets history (Darryl Strawberry, 1985, 1987 and 1988 and Carlos Delgado, 2008) have hit at least 10 homers vs. lefthanded pitchers in a seasonHad 10 games with at least three RBI, tied for sixth-most in the NL and tied for 10th-most in the majors Ike Davis (11 in 2012) was the last Met with moreFrom June 16 through the end of the season, Conforto batted .287 (33-115) off left-handed pitching, thirdbest in the majors by a left-handed hitter in that span (min. As a kid, Michael had designs on playing for the Nittany Lions. Paul DePodesta, the Mets vice president of player development and amateur scouting, doesnt quite buy into this narrative. Kulpa admitted as much following the contest. The mindset his parents imbued: Work hard, have a competitive edge on the field, and don't let anyone have a mental edge over you. in Seattle, WA Two years after that, in 2015, Conforto was with the Mets when they won the National League pennant for the first time since 2000. "I'm being protected by one of the best hitters in the game," Conforto said. Left shoulder dislocation. He also saw up close what football did to his dad, who has had seven knee surgeries, including a pair of knee replacements. He has undergone four ACL reconstructions. Some people don't. Born: 3/01/1993 in Seattle, WA. New York Mets placed LF Michael Conforto on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to March 26, 2018. He was good enough to go to Oregon State and start as a freshman. "I was always sending him a text and trying to work on the psychological part of it," she said. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images), Paul Pogba Returns To Help Juventus Win Serie A Derby Against Torino, Monica Puig Joins Athleta's Tennis Movement, Part Of Larger The Power Of She Collective, Atletico Madrid Reportedly Offer To Sign Ferran Torres From FC Barcelona, FC Barcelona Make Lionel Messi Genius $100 Million Final Offer To Return To Club This Summer - Reports, Atlanta Braves Post Record Revenue, But Profit Falls, FC Barcelona Still Keen On Signing New Pedri Alberto Moleiro From Las Palmas - Reports, Big Apple Aces Max Scherzer, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon Among MLBs Elite Slider Artists, NBA, Players Association Very Motivated To Reach New Labor Agreement By March 31 Opt-Out Deadline, especially a red-eyed press conference following the Mets home finale Sept. 30, this one against the Orioles in September 2020, this one to cut down the Braves Abraham Almonte at the plate to preserve a 2-1 Mets win on July 28, this one, potentially his last at Citi Field as a member of the Mets. Given Conforto's success, mom has even lightened up on the motivational messages. Thats what she does now. And I think he's going to be one of those guys who's going to keep getting better and better.". That wont be necessary, but its going to be a while before we find out just how many millions and how many years Conforto gets and from whom hell get them. Upon graduating in 1979, he packed up his belongings and moved West with his roommate, Craig Coder, who wanted to follow in the footsteps of his older brother Ron, an offensive lineman with the Seattle Seahawks. It was Week 3, just before halftime of a Penn State win against Maryland in a nationally televised game at He, as much as anyone, knows the difficulty of making it in elite athletics. Michael Conforto's rise helped by gold medal mom and bowl Posted by Mark Wogenrich at 12:21:39 PM on June 17, 2013. New York Mets activated LF Michael Conforto from the 10-day injured list. In He played in the Little League World Series (2004), College World Series (2013) and major league World Series (2015), a feat accomplished by just two others, Ed Vosberg and Jason Varitek. If the play looked bizarre in real time, well, that's because something else may have been going on. In slow motion, it definitely looks like Conforto deliberately stuck out his elbow so he would get hit by the pitch. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. At his best, Conforto has often looked like a potential $200 million player, but through no fault of his own, hes yet to have a full season at that level. I think it would be fair to say he was a football player who played baseball, until he got to Oregon State, the elder Mike Conforto said. 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