He made a goal-line stop to force the opposition to settle for a field goal, swinging the game's momentum. You try to find that balance between challenging the player and having them in a spot where he can be successful, DePodesta said. The innings passed, the hits kept piling up, and the old linebacker watched it all unfold, and his quiet pride was palpable. Its been a dream. To be fair to Scott Boras, there almost certainly wont be a winter meetings next month because of the owners impending lockout (put a reminder into your phone for Thursday at 12:01 AM) where he can tweak the establishment by holding court at the biggest and most-attended press conference of the festivities. WebMichael Conforto was drafted by the New York Mets in the 1st round (10th) of the 2014 MLB June Amateur Draft from Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR). As a freshman at Oregon State, he fouled a pitch off his right shin during batting practice before a game against Stanford. The game was not even three innings old and the Mets had five runs and seven hits, and never let up. Under MLB rules, Kulpa should have called the pitch a strike. "I always check up on them to see how they're doing in the fall.". Conforto grew up as a Mariners fan, idolized Ken Griffey Jr. and attended the 2001 All-Star Game at Safeco Field. I actually got to see him early on his sophomore year. first round (No. (Howard Simmons/New York Daily News). Nacido: 3/01/1993 en Seattle, WA. He went to the College World Series in 2013, in his sophomore year at Oregon State. So he had to get all his A material out of the way the general managers meetings three weeks ago. It's unclear whether MLB will do anything to punish Conforto or the Mets for the play. New York Mets activated LF Michael Conforto from the 10 day injured list. I think the Mets have really liked my ability to get on base. Perfect Game USA rates him as the No. Michael Conforto didn't just get the first, second, third and fourth hits of his big-league career in a 15-2 victory over the Dodgers. Your Rookie Season. Strained right hamstring. The other was Wright in 2006It's the 10th time a Mets player has posted a 20 homer season at age 24 or youngerIs the first Mets outfielder since Darryl Strawberry to have multiple 10 or more home run seasons through age 24Had four multi-homer games (all from the leadoff spot) with his last multi-homer game coming July 28 at SeattleIs the first Met in team history to record four multi-homer games from the leadoff spot in a single seasonHas five career multi-homer games overall (also Game 4 of the 2015 World Series)His six leadoff homers were tied for most in the NL and tied for third-most in the majorsHis six leadoff homers were tied for third-most for a single-season in Mets history with Jos Reyes (2006)Had nine first-inning homers, tied for the sixth-most in the major leaguesHit his first career leadoff homer on April 21 vs. Washington (off Tanner Roark)Went 3-4 with two homers and a career-high four RBI on May 23 vs. San DiegoDrove in three of his four runs in the first inningAccording to Elias, was the first Met to have three RBI from the leadoff spot in the first inning in team historyWas also the first player in Mets history to hit a leadoff homer in the first inning and get an RBI hit later that inningOnly four other players in the last 30 seasons have hit a home run to lead off the first inning and had an RBI hit later in the inningEric Young did so for Colorado in 1996, Ryan Christenson for Oakland in 2000, Curtis Granderson for Detroit in 2006 and Ian Kinsler for Detroit in 2016Research courtesy of EliasRanked among the NL league leaders in May in the following categories (min. Conforto the elder isn't predicting four hits on a nightly basis, but he knows his son's competitive wiring as well as anyone. 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. The Miami Marlins walked Francisco Lindor to load the bases for Conforto. His father, Mike is an Italian American who played inside linebacker at Penn State. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images). LF Michael Conforto assigned to Brooklyn Cyclones. But Confortos words and actions in September especially a red-eyed press conference following the Mets home finale Sept. 30 made it clear he was ready to test free agency and prepared to leave New York. 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. New York Mets optioned LF Michael Conforto to Las Vegas 51s. Boras also pointed out Confortos rare Triple Crown hes played in the Little League World Series, the College World Series and the actual World Series and said I think everybody understands who, really, Michael is and what he means both in leadership to teams (and performance).. He broke an ankle sliding hard into a base during a Little League game. 5 is coming up in November. My dad is a competitive guy. Still, as mom points out, her son's injuries occurred while playing baseball. If Conforto was hoping to get some help from the Mets' broadcasting booth, that wasn't going to happen. 100 AB)Drove in 19 runs in 17 games vs. the Phillies, the most by any player in 2018, including a careerhigh six RBI on September 17 at PhiladelphiaOnly Mike Piazza (22 RBI in 2002) and Darryl Strawberry (20 RBI in 1987) have had more RBI against Philadelphia in a season in Mets historyHomered in his third at-bat of the season in his return from the Disabled List on April 5 at WashingtonWas recovering from surgery, performed on September 6, 2017, to repair a tear in the posterior capsule in his left shoulder after suffering a dislocated left shoulder on August 25, 2017Clubbed a Statcast-estimated 472-foot homer on August 27 at Wrigley Field, the longest home run by a Mets hitter since Statcast began tracking data in 2015Homered in three-straight games for the first time in his career, September 8-11. Or write about sports? Nobody was happier than the man who gave Michael Conforto his name, and half of his excellent genes. 90 plate appearances): extra-base hits (17, tied for first), runs scored (25, tied for second), on-base percentage (.426, fifth), slugging percentage (.627, fourth), RBI (21, tied for seventh) and home runs (7, tied for eighth)Hit safely in a career-best nine games from July 27-August 5Batted .350 (14-40) with three homers, five RBI and eight runs scored during the streakHad five straight hits go for home runs from August 5-13The five straight hits for homers were tied for the longest such streak for any major leaguer in 2017 according to EliasThe two others to do so were Yonder Alonso (May 6-9) and Ian Happ (June 4-14)He was the fifth Mets player in team history to have a streak of five straight hits (or more) going for home runs Bobby Bonilla had a streak of five in 1992, Ike Davis a streak of five in 2012, Lucas Duda a streak of eight in 2015 and Neil Walker a streak of five in 2016Research courtesy of EliasPosted six doubles, 13 home runs and 27 RBI in 39 games after the All-Star breakAt the time of his injury, his 13 homers following the break were tied for fifth-most in the majorsHe was tied for 13th in the NL in RBI (27) after the All-Star break and tied for 10th in runs scored (25) at the time of his injury. 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. (Age 22-145d, LF Michael Conforto assigned to Savannah Sand Gnats from Brooklyn Cyclones. "Conforto's Career Single-Game HighsHits: 4, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Apr 15, 2012 Doubles: 1, 14 timesTriples: 1, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Apr 14, 2012 Home runs: 2, at Nevada, Apr 10, 2012 ; at Utah, May 11, 2012 Total bases: 9, at Utah, May 11, 2012 RBI: 6, at Nevada, Apr 10, 2012 ; at California, Mar 18, 2012 Runs scored: 4, Portland, May 15, 2012 Walks: 2, 6 timesHit by pitch: 2, at Oregon, Apr 24, 2012 Struck out: 3, vs Saint Louis, Mar 03, 2012 At bats: 6, at Utah, May 12, 2012 Stolen bases: 1, Portland, Apr 03, 2012. Just heArd on the radio that Mike Conforto Sr played linebacker at PSU. Men's Basketball Mar 8, 2022. Michael Conforto is on Instagram at mconforto8. New York extended an $18.4 million qualifying offer in November to Conforto, who turned it down to test free agency. Im the guy thats going to drive in runs. Mother: Tracie Ruiz-Conforto, won two gold medals in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles in synchronized swimming, then a silver four years later in Seoul, South Korea. The word conforto in Italian means comfort or support. College: Oregon State. Consistency is huge. This from a team that had lost four of five and spent the first two games of this series swinging swizzle sticks. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Michael Conforto's rise helped by gold medal mom and bowl So far, he's played one game, he played football at Penn State and helped his mother train for the Olympics. Hes lit a fire under me a few times when I needed it. Conforto put together a superstar-caliber season during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, when he hit .322 with nine homers, 31 RBIs and an OPS+ of 154. In fact, the institution that Joe helped build is much larger than a single coach or team. He had a streak of doubles in six straight games, tying the club record. BINGHAMTON Haggard town, run-down ballpark. "Most guys that get called up, they get sent down within the first month," Mets hitting coach Kevin Long said. "Reality is somewhere in between, and I think it's kind of helped him to not get caught up too much in the highs or the lows. vs. LAD 3 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB, Rookie Status: We were very pleased. MLB rules also state if a player gets hit by a ball in the strike zone, that pitch should be ruled a strike. Win Expectancy, Run Expectancy, and Leverage Index calculations provided by Tom Tango of InsideTheBook.com, and co-author of The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. Another significant shoulder injury may have cost himThe trajectory of Conforto's career might have been changed by a dislocated shoulder. ", No, the Phillies are not terrible, tank you very much. A series of debilitating knee injuries limited his potential and kept him in the trainers' room for much of his senior season in '78. Yet while Conforto isnt prime Dave Parker or Ichiro Suzuki in right field, he has a knack for positioning himself to make terrific plays (like this one against the Orioles in September 2020), throws (like this one to cut down the Braves Abraham Almonte at the plate to preserve a 2-1 Mets win on July 28) and catches (like this one, potentially his last at Citi Field as a member of the Mets). New York Mets signed OF Michael Conforto. In this case, we did not know, but we certainly were hopeful.. After being activated from the Disabled List on April 5, played in a career-high 153 of the Mets' 157 remaining gamesMade 141 starts, including 74 in left field, 56 in center field, 10 in right field and one as the DHSet career highs in hits (132), runs (78), home runs (28), RBI (82), doubles (25), walks (84) and stolen bases (3)Ranked among NL leaders in road homers (17, tied for fourth), walks (eighth) and go-ahead home runs (11, tied for 14th) and home runs (15th)Became the ninth player in franchise history with at least 27 home runs in consecutive seasonsThe last Met to do so was Lucas Duda (2014-2015)Reached base safely in his first 20 games of the season, the longest on-base streak of his careerThe 20-game on-base streak to begin a season was the ninth-longest in Mets historyAfter the All-Star break, ranked fourth in the majors with 52 RBI, was tied for seventh in the majors with 17 home runs and tied for ninth with 33 extra-base hitsWas second in the majors with 29 RBI and tied for fourth with nine homers in SeptemberThe last Mets hitter with at least nine homers and 29 RBI in a month was Carlos Beltrn (10 HR, 32 RBI in July 2006)Was one of five left-handed hitters with double-digit homers against lefty pitchersOnly Texas' Joey Gallo (15) had more than Conforto's 10 blasts against southpawsJust two other lefties in Mets history (Darryl Strawberry, 1985, 1987 and 1988 and Carlos Delgado, 2008) have hit at least 10 homers vs. lefthanded pitchers in a seasonHad 10 games with at least three RBI, tied for sixth-most in the NL and tied for 10th-most in the majors Ike Davis (11 in 2012) was the last Met with moreFrom June 16 through the end of the season, Conforto batted .287 (33-115) off left-handed pitching, thirdbest in the majors by a left-handed hitter in that span (min. Im kind of speechless. Leave us some feedback and we'll reply back. But the 22-year-old leftfielder is, after all, the son of a Penn State linebacker. Signed thru 2024, 2 yrs/$36M (23-24), Service Time (01/2023): 6.043 Conforto hit the open market when he declined the Mets qualifying offer, which would have guaranteed him $18.4 million and a chance to rebuild his value after a down 2021 in which he needed a strong September to finish with middling overall numbers (.232 with 14 homers, 55 RBIs and an OPS+ of 101, one percent above league average). With the teams set to play two more games in the series, it wouldn't be a huge shock to see Conforto get hit again before the weekend is over. Rated as the No. He's hitting .304 in the third hole with four homers and 15 RBIs. Binghamton Mets activated LF Michael Conforto from the temporarily inactive list. The 23-year-old outfielder's dad also provides guidance. She always told me you need to obsess about the sport that youre playing and what you want to do. Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis. He drives the ball., Said a second scout who also has seen Conforto in 2015: The early signs are that he can be a nice-looking bat. Two days ago, Michael Conforto the left fielder was in Trenton with the Binghamton Mets, his call-up so hastily arranged that his father could not get to Citi Field from his home in Redmond, Wash. for Michael the son's major-league debut Friday night. "Doesn't take long to be yesterday's news," he said. A few months ago the 58-year-old underwent a total knee replacement. New York Mets activated LF Michael Conforto from the 10-day injured list. New York Mets selected the contract of Michael Conforto from Binghamton Mets. And I think he's going to be one of those guys who's going to keep getting better and better.". Nevertheless, he added, The front office is going to do what they deem is best for the team. 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. Manager Don Mattingly was furious about the call, and argued with the umpires over the ruling. But hes certainly done very well in the short time weve had him., I could see it happening, but I wouldnt want to see it, the first scout said. 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). Third-ranked Mets prospect Michael Conforto was called up by the big club this week, making him the 1000th player in the team's history. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. They were five rows behind home plate Saturday night, in David Wright's seats, taking in a thoroughly remarkable Game 2 of Michael the Met's big-league career one in which the most anemic offense on earth morphed into the '27 Yankees, spanking out 21 hits, including home runs from one of the newest Mets, Kelly Johnson, and Daniel Murphy and two from Lucas Duda. The Mets' booth was disappointed the game ended on that play. The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball, Salaries may not be complete (especially pre-1985) and may not include some earned bonuses. 17 overall prospect in the Draft named Pac-12 Conference Freshman of the Year in 2012 & Player of the Year in 2013 hit .345 with 7 HR, 16 2B, 2 3B, 56 RBIs and a .504 OBP. They quickly came to their senses and instead opened a gym, where Mike met his now ex-wife and Michael's mother, Tracie Ruiz, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in synchronized swimming at the 1984 Olympics. Hes not nearly as rambunctious as Pete Alonso, but Conforto knew enough to go with it when Alonso raced towards him and ripped off his shirt to begin a 2019 stretch drive tradition following Confortos walk-off hit on Aug. 9. Through 30 games at Binghamton (from where the Mets could move their affiliate to Wilmington, Del., next season), Conforto owns a stellar .327/.411/.522 slash line. The Mets want Conforto to be a major piece of a team that starts a new trend the other way. It's like in a football game, when you have jitters until your first hit.". 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. Two years after that, in 2015, Conforto was with the Mets when they won the National League pennant for the first time since 2000. Michael Conforto had 132 home runs over his career. Name: Michael Conforto Age: 22 (March 1, 1993) Birthplace: Woodlinville, WA Bats/Throws: L/R Ht: 6 1 Wt: 211. Congrats for letting it fly. STAT TO KNOWFrom 2017 to 2021, Conforto's 308 walks ranked ninth among outfielders (minimum 200 games). Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. The uncertainty surrounding him only increased when he failed to sign last winter, owing to offseason shoulder surgery. Penn State moves up two spots after Rose Bowl win in final AP top 25 rankings of 2022 season. The Jewish Vues | Brooklyn/Five Towns Edition | P.O. "I've always had like kind of a special place [in my heart] for Penn State," said Michael, whose Mets open the NL division series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday at Dodger Stadium. In just his second game with the Mets, Michael Conforto is already making an impact. Conforto's pedigree is much more unusual in baseball. He has undergone four ACL reconstructions. Confortos college stop, to him and his inner circle, marked the most important chapter in his journey. His father, Mike, more role player than big man on campus, was an undersize inside 'backer who lined up behind star defensive linemen Matt Millen and Bruce Clark in short-yardage situations. Its not my call, all I can do is prepare myself and show up in New York and wherever Im at and show up with the right attitude and the right work ethic and my play on the field will speak for itself. WebView Mike Confortos profile on LinkedIn, the worlds largest professional community. The son agreed, and a little while after giving his team all manner of comfort and support, Michael Conforto the son talked about "really, really special" it was to have his first four big-league hits in front of his father. Conforto, who hit .345 with seven home runs and 56 RBIs this year, is not considered major league-ready but could be closer to the big leagues than anyone else Much of the play-by-play, game results, and transaction information both shown and used to create certain data sets was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by RetroSheet. On the 1-2 pitch from Anthony Bass, this happened: Here's that final play, a walk-off HBP. Left shoulder dislocation. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. 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. The Mets optimism about the player only has increased since they procured Conforto for a $2,970,800 signing bonus. Lopez credited Conforto with the sort of toughness that allows him to shake off in-game failure and still put together good at-bats. Decide for yourself. WebRated as the No. All I can control is what I do on the field and the way I show up every day. He has a unique athletic pedigreePlenty of big leaguers were raised by athletes themselves -- just ask the Blue Jays, who field lineups with three second-generation players, the sons of incredibly successful Major Leaguers. 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. .824. I don't do that now because now he's an adult. 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. Father: Mike Conforto, played linebacker at Penn State under Joe Paterno. Michael Conforto made last year. Im extremely excited! You may opt-out by. If Conforto was hoping to get some help from the Mets' broadcasting booth, that wasn't going to happen. (Mike Stobe/Getty Images), FOLLOW THE DAILY NEWS SPORTS ON FACEBOOK. He could have taken another path. Oftentimes, we have pretty good feel for who would be there. 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. Conforto, whose Dad played college football at Penn State and whose Mom was an Olympic swimmer, has always carried himself with a maturity and self-awareness beyond his years. His WAR since 2017, his first full season in the majors, is 13.0, which ranks 61st in the majors among position players. After Dominic Smith took a knee during the National Anthem in protest of the police shooting of Jacob Blake prior to the game against the Marlins Aug. 26, Conforto said he supported Smith but wouldnt kneel. 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). Relaxed aggression, smart intensity. 18. pic.twitter.com/Y9pjj1S3VC, Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) April 8, 2021. Confortos father, Mike Conforto, grew up in Altoona, Pa., and played linebacker for Joe Paterno at Penn State. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. That doesn't mean Conforto will get off scot-free. Shes obsessing over all kinds of things. A history of the Sports Reference Sponsorship System. His current contract terms are 2 yrs/$36M (23-24). 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. "It's a little bit of a surreal feeling," the father said. He also saw up close what football did to his dad, who has had seven knee surgeries, including a pair of knee replacements. Chosen 10th overall in the 2014 amateur draft, Conforto signed for a $2,970,800 bonus, spent the rest of the season at the Class A Brooklyn Cyclones, then started last year at St. Lucie before moving up to Double-A Binghamton on May 30. The elder Michael Conforto misses his son's big-league debut but gets to see his breakout game. Thats what she does now. A three-sport athlete at Redmond High School outside Seattle, he played quarterback for the Mustangs. Just over a month into his stay at Double-A Binghamton, less than a year since his professional debut, the lefty-hitting left fielder has made the sort of impression reserved for the games most touted prospects. Do you have a blog? In It was Week 3, just before halftime of a Penn State win against Maryland in a nationally televised game at Ill put it that way, DePodesta said. LF Michael Conforto assigned to St. Lucie Mets from Savannah Sand Gnats. Im so excited about this team. How would you describe your hitting style? Paul DePodesta, the Mets vice president of player development and amateur scouting, doesnt quite buy into this narrative. Here was Conforto, rapping an RBI single off poor Zach Lee, the Dodgers' luckless starter making his own big-league debut, in the first, and then ripping a double to the right-field corner in the third. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Mike Conforto was a linebacker on Penn State teams that went to the Gator, Fiesta and Sugar Bowls in the late 1970s, and he passed on many of coach Joe Paterno's favorite sayings. He's doing it himself. I think thats whats made him successful to this point.. Congratulations to you and the NY Mets for clinching! And that left-handed swingConforto might not quite be Will Clark, but when hes rolling and spraying the ball to all fields, its hard not to envision him as a franchise player capable of anchoring the middle of a lineup well into the back half of this decade. Draft: 2014, New York Mets, Ronda: 1, Seleccin At one of his gyms, Conforto trained a swimmer named Tracie Ruiz, who proceeded to win two gold medals in the 1984 Olympics and a silver in the 1988 Games for synchronized swimming. Michael Conforto had 650 hits over his career. Huge congratulations to Michael Conforto from two St. Lucie Mets season ticket holders. He wasnt afraid to get in my face, but he always built me back up in the best way. "I don't know what it is. It was a refreshing change of pace considering most booths would have blindly backed their team. Born: 3/01/1993 in Seattle, WA. San Francisco Giants activated LF Michael Conforto. There was some confusion over whether the play could be reviewed. "Michael was able to stay, which is a testament to how strong he is mentally and how talented he is physically.". Michael played quarterback and safety up until his senior year of high school and was talented enough to garner interest from Washington, Idaho, and several Ivy League schools. If the play looked bizarre in real time, well, that's because something else may have been going on. With his father leading the way, the star 11-year-old and his teammates hung out on the sidelines of a Penn State football practice and were granted an audience with coach Joe Paterno. Chose Oregon State because of "it's a great program with great coaches and a great school.