Mike Conforto's crowning football moment came in 1977. New York Mets placed LF Michael Conforto on the 10-day disabled list. New York Mets placed LF Michael Conforto on the 10-day injured list. It was Week 3, just before halftime of a Penn State win against Maryland in a nationally televised game at He didn't just pick up his second Somebody asked me the other day if Ive seen anybody thats impressed me, a scout said, on the condition of anonymity. Sure, he hails from Pac-12 country. Hes lit a fire under me a few times when I needed it. I was raw, Conforto said. The worst-hitting team in the big leagues got a great deal of both on Saturday night, when a 22-year-old outfielder very much lived up to his dictionary definition, and the Mets, unaccountably, rained hits all over Flushing. The recovery took up the majority of his offseason, and he has since admitted he may not have been patient enough with his rehab process -- perhaps evidenced by how poorly his 2018 season started. LF Michael Conforto assigned to Savannah Sand Gnats from Brooklyn Cyclones. Combine his own competitive pedigree with that of Michael's mother, the former Tracie Ruiz, an Olympic gold medalist in synchronized swimming (she is divorced from Michael's father), and you would have an insight into how Michael the Met got here ahead of his time. If the play looked bizarre in real time, well, that's because something else may have been going on. In slow motion, it definitely looks like Conforto deliberately stuck out his elbow so he would get hit by the pitch. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. Michael Conforto spent the first seven years of his career under the bright lights of Citi Field, dealing with all of the scrutiny that comes with playing for the Mets. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. But wait, before the umpire could signal for the strikeout, Conforto turned back to argue he got hit with the pitch. Ive covered the Mets for a variety of outlets since 1997. When the Mets popped him with the 10th pick last year, I was shocked he didnt go before that, Casey said. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. The responsibility falls to Kulpa to make that call, making it hard for MLB to do anything to Conforto or the Mets. (Age 22-145d, Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Positions: Leftfielder, Rightfielder and Centerfielder Bats: Left Throws: Right 6-1, 215lb (185cm, 97kg) . Having made the jump from Double-A directly to the major leagues last July 24, he is the starting left fielder for the defending National League champions and is hitting .301. The Marlins are likely furious about the loss. When Conforto joined the Mets, Curtis Granderson noticed an even-keel demeanor on the field the former All-Star attributes to high-level amateur experience. Michael Conforto has played for 1 team, the New York Mets. And with the Mets run-production crisis, that curiosity is quite intense. Made his first Opening Day rosterWas with New York from Opening Day-June 25, July 18-August 12 and from September 1-end of the seasonHit a career-high 12 homersSeven of his 12 home runs either gave the Mets the lead or tied the gameHad 17 home runs through his first 100 games as a Met, tied for the third-most in team history behind Darryl Strawberry (22) and David Wright (20)Batted .365 (27-74) with 11 doubles, four home runs, 18 RBI and 15 runs scored in 21 games during AprilHit .174 (40-230) with 10 doubles, eight home runs, 24 RBI and 23 runs scored in 88 games from May through the remainder of the seasonHad six consecutive games with a double from April 24-30, tying a franchise record by Joe Christopher from August 14-18, 1964..Had a career-best 17 game on base streak from April 10-30Batted .377 (23-61) with a .443 OBPHit a three-run homer on Sept. 23 vs. Philadelphia, his first since going deep on August 7 at DetroitFinished the game 2-3 with three RBI, matching a career-high (fifth time)Over his final 12 games dating to Sept. 18, Conforto went 7-23 (.304) with two doubles, one homer, eight RBI and six runs scoredHit .422 (54-128) with eight doubles, two triples, nine home runs, 28 RBI and 30 runs scored in 33 games with Las Vegas (AAA) of the Pacific Coast League. His .216 first-half average seemed so out of character that the Mets even considered sending him back to Triple-A. His father, Mike is an Italian American who played inside linebacker at Penn State. I was an athlete.. The umpires reviewed the play, but allowed it to stand. "Joe would always tell us that you're never as good as you think you are when things are going well, and you're never as bad as you think you are when you're not performing very good," dad said. Team: San Francisco Giants (majors) Born: March 1, 1993 in Seattle, WA us Draft: Drafted by the New York Mets in the 1st round (10th) of the 2014 MLB June Amateur Draft from Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR). 26 years ago today, Tracie Ruiz Conforto brought home the silver medal in the solo competition from the @Olympics ! If the play looked bizarre in real time, well, that's because something else may have been going on. WebView Mike Confortos profile on LinkedIn, the worlds largest professional community. Almost a year removed from that injury, Conforto will once again look to find a landing spot once the 2022-23 free agency season begins after the conclusion of the World Series. And just what is the value of a player whose advanced metrics do not match up to the eye test? "My approach is the same everywhere I go," the son said. It overlooks his personal history which, if anything, makes the Mets prospects rise even more impressive. GAME 30 Penn State: Hanging on a Heart Attack. Its 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. But on Aug. 24, Conforto suffered a freak injury, dislocating and tearing the posterior capsule in his left shoulder on a swing. Michael Conforto is on Twitter at mconforto8. Conforto grew up as a Mariners fan, idolized Ken Griffey Jr. and attended the 2001 All-Star Game at Safeco Field. Conforto the elder isn't predicting four hits on a nightly basis, but he knows his son's competitive wiring as well as anyone. The Mississippi State freshman is a rare ambidextrous pitcher, the most notable since Pat Venditte appeared in 61 major league games from 2015-20. Michael Conforto was born on March 1, 1993. OF Michael Conforto assigned to USA National Team. Michael Conforto has a sister, Jacqueline, who played soccer at Azusa Pacific University. His WAR since 2017, his first full season in the majors, is 13.0, which ranks 61st in the majors among position players. Conforto has collected 15.7 WAR per Baseball-Reference.com, which doesnt even rank among the top 24 in Mets history. He made his first and only All-Star team in 2017. The trip was memorable for Conforto, now the sweet-swinging rookie whose July promotion helped rejuvenate an anemic Mets offense. "It was nice of him to wait for me," Michael Conforto, the father, said. When you were drafted there were a lot of draft experts that said you were below average defensively in left and you might not stick there. In the same player pool, his on-base percentage (.364) ranks 12th, he hit the 15th-most home runs (111) and his 127 OPS+ was tied for 11th with Mitch Haniger. If he wants to come here, bat third and make $1 million, let me know, one source from a second-division team said with a laugh. However, Alderson added, At this point hes still in Binghamton, and I would expect him to be over the near term., That sounds exciting, definitely, Conforto said, in an interview last week at NYSEG Stadium, of a surge to the top. While Boras predictably laid it on thick about Conforto calling him the king of diamonds as well as the king of Queens (someone alert Kevin James and Jacob deGrom) before declaring Conforto is the ace of many general managers hearts, his less boisterous statements spoke to how layered and fascinating the free agent case is for Conforto. But the 22-year-old leftfielder is, after all, the son of a Penn State linebacker. Nevertheless, he added, The front office is going to do what they deem is best for the team. Hes been a professional hitter, Binghamton manager Pedro Lopez said. Despite initially becoming a free agent last winter, offseason shoulder surgery threw a wrench in the works, keeping him unsigned for the entirety of the 2022 season. WebLettered two years in football as a quarterback and free safety Named second-team all-state in football. In just his second game with the Mets, Michael Conforto is already making an impact. Conforto knows the advantages his background presented. Conforto breaks out for four hits with his father watching from the stands. Oftentimes, we have pretty good feel for who would be there. Tell us all about your experience so far since making it up to the big team. "I think he is prepared for this," the father said. We knew he was never going to be a middle infielder., Casey, Mike Conforto said, is kind of like a football coach whos a baseball manager. She always said she wasnt the most talented, but she worked the hardest. High School: Redmond HS (Redmond, WA), School: Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR), Debut: Im kind of speechless. We were very pleased. So far, he's played one game, he played football at Penn State and helped his mother train for the Olympics. But by his senior year, he decided his body now 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds was better suited to baseball. And with that impression comes the curiosity over his arrival date. In 2017, Conforto made the All-Star team and hit .279 with 27 homers, 68 RBIs and an OPS+ of 148 before suffering what was initially feared to be a career-altering dislocated left shoulder. New York Mets sent OF Michael Conforto on a rehab assignment to St. Lucie Mets. 01 was a great year, and that was the last time we made the playoffs, Conforto said, before quickly self-editing with a smile: They made the playoffs.. You try to find that balance between challenging the player and having them in a spot where he can be successful, DePodesta said. Rated as the No. But he has struggled in his small sampling against big league lefties, hitting .188. Manager Don Mattingly was furious about the call, and argued with the umpires over the ruling. It's unclear whether MLB will do anything to punish Conforto or the Mets for the play. Conforto adjusted in September, and he went 5 for 15 with four RBIs in the World Series against Kansas City, homering twice in Game 4. Leave us some feedback and we'll reply back. He's made Little League World Series historyFormer teammate Todd Frazier is perhaps the big leaguer best known for competing in the Little League World Series. 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In "This kid can hit. It was a refreshing change of pace considering most booths would have blindly backed their team. He's doing it himself. I think the Mets have really liked my ability to get on base. Father: Mike Conforto, played linebacker at Penn State under Joe Paterno. The raw power was just sitting there, said Pat Casey, still the head coach at Oregon State. "Doesn't take long to be yesterday's news," he said. When his son ran across the diamond to left field to start the game, that's when it truly hit him: Conforto's father says his son tends to play better when he's in the stands. The mindset his parents imbued: Work hard, have a competitive edge on the field, and don't let anyone have a mental edge over you. Decide for yourself. New York Mets activated LF Michael Conforto. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. LF Michael Conforto assigned to FSL South Division All-Stars. ", The elder Conforto was never a starter but played on two teams that finished among the top five in the nation, in 1977 and 1978. QUESTION MARKBetween a strained hamstring and some uncharacteristic struggles at the plate in 2021, Conforto did not exactly soar into free agency on a high note. I think thats whats made him successful to this point.. The next day, Conforto worked with the Marlins Miguel Rojas and Lewis Brinson to coordinate a protest in which the reserves and bench staff from both teams stood alongside their respective baselines as the Mets starting lineup and Brinson, the Marlins leadoff batter, took the field for 42 seconds before walking off the field. Named to the 2015 Topps Rookie All-Star teamHad his contract selected on July 24 from Binghamton (AA) of the Eastern LeagueMade his major league debut on July 24 vs. Los Angeles-NLBecame the 1,000th Met in franchise history when he debutedWas 0-for-3 in his debut with an RBIHad nine home runs from August 3 through the end of the season, tied for the seventh-most among major league rookies over that spanBatted .291 (39-134) with 20 runs scored, 11 doubles, eight home runs and 18 RBI over his last 42 games dating to August 13Had six outfield assists, tied for the most in the NL by a rookie with Washington's Michael ATaylor, despite playing in 82 fewer gamesWent 4-for-4 with four runs scored in his second career game on July 25 vs. Los Angeles-NLCollected his first major league hit off Zach LeeBecame the first Met in franchise history to record a four-hit game within his first two career gamesWas the fifth player in the last 100 years to score four or more runs in one of his first two major league gamesDrove in a run in each of his first three career major league gamesDelivered an RBI double in the ninth inning on August 7 at Tampa Bay that tied the game and later scored the winning run in a 4-3 winHit his first ML home run on August 3 at Miami (off Tom Koehler)It was a three-run home run that gave the Mets the leadReached base safely in 15 straight games with an at-bat from August 15-September 2Batted .391 (18-46) with four doubles, four home runs and nine RBI during the on-base streakBatted a combined .297 (106-357) with 24 doubles, three triples, 12 home runs and 54 RBI between St. Lucie (A) and Binghamton (AA)Was a three time Player of the Week in the minor leagues (two with St. Lucie and one with Binghamton)Named a Florida State League mid-season All-Star but did not participate in game due to promotion to Double-AParticipated in the SiriusXM Futures Game in CincinnatiStarted the game in leftfield and went 2-for-2 at the plateAlso threw out a runner at home plate. 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