Michael Conforto

Player Data: Age 27, B/T: L/R
Primary Stats: 54 G, 233 PA, 9 HR, 31 RBI, 3 SB, 24 BB, 57 SO, .322 BA, .412 OBP, .515 SLG, .927 OPS
Advanced Stats: .412 BABIP, .401 wOBA, 157 wRC+, 156 OPS+, 2.0 fWAR, 2.0 bWAR, 1 DRS, -5 OAA
Free Agent: 2022
2020 Salary: $8 million

Grade: A

2020 Review:

In 2019, Michael Conforto set career-best marks pretty much across the board offensively, turning in his most consistent season as a Met. Conforto hit .257/.363/.494, with 33 home runs and 92 RBI, while provided strong defense in right field (7 OAA). If you told the Mets they would get that same level of production from Conforto moving forward they would’ve taken it.

But this season, he was even better.

In this shortened season, Conforto finally established himself as the superstar we were all projecting him to become back in 2015. He was in the race for the batting title all year, carrying a .341 average 50 games into the season. The biggest reason for Conforto’s huge uptick in average was his ability to hit the ball to all field.

Conforto only pulled the ball 27.6% of the time this season, while he hit it to the opposite field 31.7% of the time. Even more impressive, he hit the ball straight 40.7% of the time. In his previous two seasons, Conforto’s pull rate was over 40%.

The ability to spray the ball all over the field helped turn Conforto into one of the most difficult outs in baseball, particularly when hitting against the shift, as he had a .423 wOBA in those situations.

All of this is to say that we saw the 27-year-old locked in at a level we have never seen before in his MLB career.

When it comes to all the advanced metrics, Conforto hit at the best clip of his career. One of the most telling statistics was his Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+), which ranked him as the 13th-most valuable hitter in baseball.

Conforto’s 157 wRC+ trialed only Mike Yastrzemski (160 wRC+) and Ronald Acuna Jr. (159 wRC+) among right fielders in the NL. He also bested the mark of Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts (149 wRC+). Because of the great amount of talent at his position, Conforto may not receive a Silver Slugger for his breakout season, but his numbers certainly warrant that type of award.

The only thing that kept Conforto from receiving a perfect A+ grade on this report card was his defense. It is hard to reconcile with what the metrics tell you on Conforto, because it appeared at times like he was having a great season out in right field. Yet Statcast’s Outs Above Average had him among the worst outfielders in baseball at -5 OAA.

Conforto has generally been favored in this metric, recording a team-best 7 OAA in right field in 2019, so this simply could have been the result of a limited sample size.

Still, outside of Jacob deGrom, Conforto was rated as the Mets best player this season with his 2.0 WAR.

2020 Key Moment 

Since the defensive metrics knocked him, let’s give a quick acknowledgment of some of the highlights of Michael Conforto’s season in right field. First off, he showcased his strong arm by leading the Mets with six outfield assists.

Then on September 9th, Conforto made a game-saving catch that kept three runs off the board in a game they would ultimately win.

Conforto also homered in that game, hitting a 429-foot blast with an exit velocity of 110.5 mph.

2021 Outlook

Michael Conforto’s season outlook for 2021 in pretty cut and dry. Provided health, he will play everyday in right field and bat somewhere at the top of the lineup. The bigger question is where the Mets go from here with Conforto, as he is entering the final year of team control.

Along with his great production on the field, Conforto has established himself as the leader for this young Mets team. He represents the team for the MLBPA and was vocal about issues both on an off the field. There is no doubt his teammates and fans alike want to see Conforto signed to a long-term extension, we just don’t know if it will come this offseason.

Conforto is represented by Scott Boras, who often instructs his clients to make it to free agency where 30 teams can bid for their services. Yet with the uncertainty regarding the collective-bargaining agreement, which will expire after this year, there is a chance that Conforto will seek the security of the long-term deal and sign on the dotted line this winter.