Michael Conforto‘s major league career has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride. But on July 11, Conforto will soak in Miami, surrounded by the best of the best in the major leagues and will represent the Mets as its lone All-Star in the Mid-Summer Classic.
“It’s pretty awesome. It’s pretty cool,” Conforto said Monday. “Meeting these guys, them telling me, ‘Hey, I love watching you play, congratulations!’ It’s pretty cool for me.”
With spring training drawing to an end, Conforto was slated for a one-way ticket to Las Vegas. But when Juan Lagares ended up on the disabled list, opportunity knocked for Conforto and the young outfielder took full advantage and never looked back.
During the first month of the season, Conforto started in just 13 games, but he batted .321/.394/.661 with six long balls and 13 RBI.
The Mets couldn’t help but play him everyday.
“The biggest surprise is certainly Michael getting named to the All-Star team,’’ Mets manager Terry Collins said. “This guy started out the season as the fourth or fifth outfielder. All he did was, when he got his chance to get in the lineup, with the injury to Cespedes, he ran with it. I think that’s gotta be the biggest surprise of the first half, how he’s played and what he’s accomplished.”
As the injuries started to pile up and the team as a whole underachieved, Conforto rose like a Phoenix from the ashes and transcended, getting back to what we saw when he came up as a wide-eyed rookie.
Conforto followed suit in May with another seven home runs, 21 RBI and a .314/.426/.627 slash line.
While June was a down month for the outfielder, who also spent time on the disabled list, the All-Star nod was a tip of the cap to Conforto who overcame a ton of adversity to get where he is today.
But even with all the drama and constant heartache the 2017 New York Mets have endured, the outfielder wishes he wasn’t alone taking in his first All-Star game.
“Me being the only guy from the Mets makes it all the more special for me, but a number of [teammates] did deserve it,” Conforto said. “That would have been great, but it’s just me.”
Conforto added that he was hoping other teammates Jay Bruce and Jacob deGrom would have been with him during this new and exciting experience.
With a team that is 39-47 at the break, there typically is just one All-Star though.
Even still, the outfielder believes that this team can turn things around in the second-half and fight towards a playoff spot.
“There’s nothing we can do about (the first half) now,” Conforto said. “All we can do is move forward and try to get the guys healthy and try to stay as focused as possible on just having the best second half we can, and hopefully we’ll scratch and claw our way into the playoffs.”
But with a fire sale likely by the end of the month, the Mets will gear up for 2018 and beyond, trading the assets they do have for a stronger future.
“Hopefully we can continue to play together for as long as possible and maybe (a fire sale) won’t happen,” Conforto said. “We’ve got to stay focused on the task as hand, which is winning ballgames.”
Whatever does happen in the next few weeks, Conforto, who carries a .284/.403/.542 slash line with 14 homers and 41 RBI to go along with a .395 wOBA and 148 wRC+, will be a piece for the Mets to build around for the foreseeable future. His appearance in Miami tonight is just the beginning for this talented young outfielder.
