Michael Conforto Has Ignited the New York Mets' Offense
Last season, the New York Mets called up outfielder Michael Conforto for the final two months of the season, as the team pushed towards the playoffs.
At the time, Conforto was New York’s second-ranked prospect, and he lived up to his ranking during his first stint in the Major Leagues.
Conforto played in 56 games for the Mets down the stretch of the 2015 season and slashed .270/.335/.506 with a 132 OPS+ (a score of 100 represents an average hitter).
He also contributed 2.1 WAR to the team. Adding two wins to a team over the course of a full season warrants a player to be considered a “starter,†but Conforto contributed that much over just one-third of a season!
The reigning National League Champions began the year 2-5 and averaged just 2.6 runs per game through their first seven games. Conforto, meanwhile, needed a few games to get his bat going, as he hit just .250/.423/.350 during the Mets’ mini-slump.
Since then, however, Conforto is hitting better than ever before and has jumpstarted the Mets’ offense. Over their last 16 games, the Mets are 13-3 and have averaged 5.8 runs per game.
Conforto has appeared in 15 of the Mets’ last 16 games and slashed .373/.415/.729 with 4 home runs, 9 doubles, and 15 RBI over that span.
Thanks to Conforto’s hot hitting, the Mets trail the Washington Nationals by just 1.5 games for first place in the National League East. Their run differentials are almost identical: Washington at +38 and New York at +36.
On the season, Conforto is hitting .342 with a .418 on-base percentage and a .633 slugging percentage.
He also owns a 1.2 WAR over just 22 games played. Over the course of the season, Conforto seems already to be a 5 to 7 WAR player at just 22 years old.
Check out where he ranks in several hitting categories.
| Category | Stat | MLB Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Doubles | 11 | T-1st |
| Extra-Base Hits | 15 | T-7th |
| On-base Plus Slugging | 1.05 | 9th |
| On-base Plus Slugging Plus | 181 | 9th |
| Batting Average | 0.342 | 10th |
Conforto has played less than half of a season in the Major Leagues at this point in his career -- just 78 games -- but is already one of the best young hitters in baseball.
The Mets certainly have a future star on their team.
