For New York Mets outfielder Michael Conforto, the first half of the 2018 season was one to forget.
After undergoing offseason shoulder surgery, Conforto was expected to return to the club in early May. However, he was rushed back and joined the team in Washington on April 5.
Despite homering in his first game back, Conforto struggled early on.The lefty hit just ten home runs and had 76 strikeouts over the first three months of the season. He was performing so poorly that the team considered demoting him to the minors.
Conforto looked lost at the plate, and his power stroke was clearly missing. In total, he hit a mere .216/.344/.366 with just 11 home runs, 30 RBI, and 86 strikeouts in the first half.
It wasn’t until after the All Star Break that the Mets started to see signs of the real Michael Conforto. On August 22, Conforto was hitting .288 with seven home runs, 21 RBI, and seven doubles in 31 games since the break.
Conforto showed that that success wasn’t just a fluke by finishing the year with his best month of the season. In 28 games in September, Conforto hit .286/.365/.616 with 13 walks and eight doubles.
He also posted a season high .981 OPS, as a result from his nine September home runs and 29 RBI, which were both second in the league only behind Brewers outfielder and National League MVP favorite Christian Yelich.
Despite the slow start, Conforto finished the season hitting .243/.350/.448, and setting career highs with 25 doubles, 28 home runs, 84 walks, and 82 RBI.
From the first half to the second, Conforto was night and day. By the end of the season, he looked much more comfortable at the plate, his power production was back, and he was back to using all fields.
Building off this resurgent finish, the former first round pick should be in for a huge 2019 season.
Conforto’s confidence at the plate going into next season should be through the roof. Also, entering his fifth year in the league he is going to be 26 years old, the age when many players hit their peak.
The Mets young core is very talented, and Conforto is one of the main pieces. The offense performed the best it did all year with Amed Rosario, Jeff McNeil, and Conforto at the top of the lineup. There is no reason to believe that this success can not be carried over to next season.
With Yoenis Cespedes sidelined indefinitely, Conforto is going to need to step in as that big bat in the middle of the lineup much like he did in the second half. If he does, Conforto is destined to crack the 30 home run plateau.
Now that Conforto worked out his kinks, he will continue to cement himself as one of the top young outfielders in the game next season.
