Michael Conforto was destined for this.
He played baseball on a national stage in the Little League World Series before he hit puberty. His mother was an Olympian, his father a college football player. Conforto himself had Ivy League offers for football. He opted to pursue baseball at PAC-12 powerhouse Oregon State and was a team leader both on and off the field.
When the Mets selected Conforto, a Golden Spikes Award finalist and one of college baseball’s most advanced hitters, tenth overall in the 2014 draft, his path to stardom was cemented in front of him. He elevated the hype by reaching the Mets within a calendar year of his signing with the organization. Among position players in his draft class, only Kyle Schwarber beat him to the Majors, and just by a month.
At 22, Conforto was the starting left fielder on a pennant-winning team. He hit multiple home runs in a World Series game. In a lifetime full of unending pressure, he never let it get to him. If there was going to be a Met to take the keys to the clubhouse from David Wright, it looked like it would be Conforto.
Fast forward to 2020, and Conforto has been an ever-present staple in the middle of the Mets order, albeit one that has never quite broken through as a legitimate star. Nevertheless, he has gained respect among the Mets clubhouse, and has proven to be a leader in one of the most turmoil-filled years in baseball history.
Conforto broke out in 2017, making the All-Star team with a career-best .939 OPS before a shoulder injury robbed him of the final third of his season. 2018’s Conforto was a picture of durability, appearing in 153 games, but the injury had clearly sapped him of some of his strength as he seemingly took a step backward.
In 2019, he was decidedly back to the Conforto he showed a glimpse of two years prior. His OPS+ was well above-average at 128. He bridged the 30-homer plateau for the first time and drove in a career-high 92 runs. He was a key to the Mets lineup, often batting behind and protecting Pete Alonso.
But 2020 might be the most important year of Conforto’s career. In a 60-game sprint, the Mets needed him at his best from the jump. While other key cogs in this offense have faltered, Conforto has quietly looked as good as ever.
Through 102 at bats, Conforto has posted a .963 OPS paired with the National League’s fifth best wRC+ at 171. He’s already worth 1.1 fWAR. He’s blasted five homers and gotten on base at a .444 clip. He ripped one of the Mets’ most clutch hits of the season, taking Brandon Kintzler deep in the ninth inning of a tie game last Wednesday in Miami. After knocking on the door for years, the Michael Conforto Mets fans anticipated might finally be here. With Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil hitting below their capabilities, Conforto has stepped up to lead the offense.
Perhaps more importantly, Conforto is leading the clubhouse. Every year, each team elects a player to represent them with the MLB Players Association. Some, like the Marlins with Miguel Rojas and Dodgers with Justin Turner, are represented by their veterans. Others, like the Cubs with Kris Bryant and Indians with Francisco Lindor, are represented by their stars. Conforto is the Mets’ elected player rep.
Conforto himself has never been very public with his personal life. He’s not particularly active on social media, nor is he very candid when speaking to the media. To some, it might come as a shock that Conforto is the team’s elected leader. Rather, it should be a testament to the respect he holds in his clubhouse.
Conforto was one of two players that spoke to the press following the Mets’ 5-4 win over the Marlins on Wednesday, followed by Dom Smith, who had drawn attention for kneeling during the national anthem prior to the game. Conforto said that he would not have knelt with Smith if given the chance. The comments, while supportive of Smith, garnered a mixed response from fans on social media. Some criticized Conforto for his conflicted response. He told the media that Smith knows he has Conforto’s full support without showing it. Smith, standing alone, replaced Conforto in front of the media and openly wept as he spoke about the racial injustice Black Americans face.
On Thursday, the Mets and Marlins walked off the field and did not play following a 42-second moment of silence, an homage to Jackie Robinson. Conforto was vital in organizing that demonstration. As the team’s player rep, it was his responsibility to communicate with Miguel Rojas, the Marlins’ rep, about how the teams would approach the game. Afterwards, Conforto again spoke to the media. This time, he was side-by-side with Smith, Robinson Canó, and Dellin Betances.
This time, Conforto was openly and physically supporting his teammate. This time, he spoke with candor as he discussed how the clubhouse came to view the game. He said that the Smith’s comments weighed heavily on the entire team.
“When you love a guy like him the way that his teammates do, it’s a pretty powerful thing,” Conforto said. “Dom’s our brother.”
On Wednesday, the Mets left Smith to kneel and cry alone. On Thursday, Conforto made sure Smith knew he wasn’t alone. Conforto showed that after all the ups and downs he has endured in orange and blue, this team is his to lead. And the Mets are better because of it.
