Watching the Mets lose the 2015 World Series was tough. There were a lot of what-if moments. The Mets lost three ninth inning leads. There was a lot to get you down.
However, there was one at-bat from that entire series that made me smile. The funny thing was the at-bat had no bearing on the outcome of any of the World Series games. It was the penultimate at bat of the World Series.
Michael Conforto stepped up to the plate against Wade Davis. The Mets were down 3-1 in the series. Davis has a career 0.84 career postseason ERA, and he had not allowed a run in the 2015 postseason. The Royals were leading 7-2 in the 12th inning. There were two outs, and Davis had two strikes on Conforto.
There wasn’t going to be any rallies reminiscent of the 1986 World Series. It was over, and the only issue in doubt was who was going to become the answer to a trivia question for making the last out of the World Series. It wasn’t going to be Conforto.
He would hit an opposite field single. It was a great at-bat. In a World Series where he hit two home runs in a game, I was most impressed with this at bat. It spoke to what he was as a player. He was never going to quit despite mounting odds. It showed how special he was going to be.
Unsurprisingly, Conforto picked up where he left off. On Opening Day, he went 2-2 with a single, double and two walks. On a day where the Mets hitters struggled, Conforto couldn’t make an out. It was yet another sign of how special a player this kid is going to be. There may be no limit to what he can accomplish. From an offensive standpoint, it’s hard not to compare him to another player who skipped AAA to star in the majors.
In 2003, Miguel Cabrera skipped AAA, and he was called up to the majors to play left field for the Florida Marlins. He was the missing piece for the eventual World Series champions. That year, he hit .268/.325/.468 with 12 homers and 62 RBI in 87 games. He had a 106 OPS+, 106 wRC+, and a 0.6 WAR. He notably hit a home run off Roger Clemens in the World Series.
Cabrera would go on to win a Triple Crown, two MVP Awards, and six Silver Slugger Awards. He’s a 10 time All Star. He’s a future Hall of Famer.
Last year, Conforto played in 56 games hitting .270/.335/.506 with 9 homers and 26 RBI. He had a 132 OPS+, 134 wRC+, and a 2.1 WAR. As discussed before, he hit two homers in a World Series game. When he hit the first home run, he became the youngest player to homer in the World Series since Cabrera. Furthermore, he has shown himself to be a good left fielder with a strong, accurate arm.
Also of note, Conforto is a winner wherever he goes. He’s the third player ever to appear in the Little League World Series, College World Series, and the MLB World Series. He’s the only person to record an RBI in all three World Series. There is no stopping Michael Conforto.
Cabrera went on to become one of if not the best hitters in the sport. The scary part is Conforto was better than Cabrera was at this point in his career. Judging by the first game of the season, a small sample size to be sure, Conforto is not taking anything for granted. He’s going to do everything he can do to unlock his full potential. That could mean All Star games, Silver Sluggers, and possibly MVP awards. Hopefully, there will be at least one World Series title too.
Right now, the sky is the limit for Conforto. We shouldn’t be surprised at what he can accomplish this season and moving forward.
