The Mets have a gem in their possession and they should do everything they can not to tarnish it. I’m talking about Michael Conforto, who came up to the Major Leagues as a left fielder amidst overwhelmingly negative reviews from scouts regarding his defense.

In fact, in an exclusive interview with MMO shortly before his MLB debut, we asked Michael about those negative scouting reports and here’s what he had to say:

“I knew the criticisms, I had heard about them and the coaches here talked to me about it,” Conforto said.

“Getting myself into the right position to throw was a big thing for me that helped me start throwing guys out and be more accurate. It’s just something that I had to work on, I had to be out there everyday playing and its incredible what hard work can do for you.”

Conforto, now 24, put all those criticisms to rest almost immediately after his promotion, showing himself to be very adept as a left fielder while displaying a powerful and accurate arm.

The bulk of Conforto’s career has been spent in left field, where in 1364.0 innings he has a 8.1 ultimate zone rating (UZR) and 9 defensive runs saved (DRS). Those numbers look good on paper, but when you delve into them they are in fact a little troubling.

In 2015, when he first came up, Conforto played 389.2 innings in left field with a 7.5 UZR and 9 DRS. In 2016, however, his defense regressed as he posted a 1.1 UZR and -1 DRS in 561.2 innings. In 2017 so far, he has a -0.4 UZR and 1 DRS in 412.2 left field innings. What changed between 2015 and 2016? He was tasked with learning center field.

If he was good enough in center field to make up for his regression a the corners, then it would be acceptable. Unfortunately, he’s just not good in center field as in 322.2 innings this season, he has a -1.1 UZR and -5 DRS.

Logic says Michael Conforto should be in left field every day, but he can’t be. Why? Because of Yoenis Cespedes. While Cespedes has never played a Major League inning in right field, that’s probably where he would be best suited. He has one of the strongest arms in the game and isn’t particularly fast (or, at least, he would be if he ran at more than 60% but that’s an issue for another time).

Cespedes is entrenched in left field for many reasons, some more acceptable than others. Now that Jay Bruce is gone and Gold Glover Juan Lagares is healthy, Conforto should be in right field every single day. Not only for the remainder of this season, but for the rest of his career. Being forced to learn center field has seriously hurt Conforto overall defensively. He should only be put in center field in short-term emergencies, and should never be put there when a player like Juan Lagares is available.

The point of all this is that installing Michael Conforto in center everyday is a horrible mistake. Conforto has shown he could be a plus defender in left field and I think he could be just as good in right. He’s already emerging as a potential MVP-caliber player offensively. Let him shine on defense as well by setting him up for success.