The Call Up: Michael Conforto

(Editor’s Note: Welcome to an alternate-history version of Michael Conforto’s Mets career.)

The Situation: It’s September 1, the time of year when rosters expand and fans get a look at some of the young, exciting players on the farm. And if the excitement of meaningful games in September isn’t enough for Mets fans, they will get to see their top prospect in action, as Michael Conforto will get the call to the bigs along with Ty Kelly, Kevin Plawecki, and Gabriel Ynoa.

Background: Conforto was the Mets’ first-round pick in 2014 out of Oregon State and has made quick work of the minor leagues. Following a brief stint in Brooklyn after he signed in July, where the Mets made some tweaks to his swing, Conforto blew through St. Lucie and Binghamton in 2015, hitting .297/.372/.482 between his two stops. He may have been in line for a major league call-up last Summer, before Yoenis Cespedes arrived in Flushing at the deadline. Instead, Conforto has to settle for top-20 prospect ranking at consolation. And he has been (multiple flame emojis) in Triple-A in 2016, posting a .422/.483/.727 despite a wrist issue that kept him on the shelf for parts of the first half. Yes, it’s the PCL, and yes, it’s Las Vegas, but that’s a 1.210 (twelve-ten!) OPS. That’s the best mark in the league since 2009. It’s surprising it took this long for him to get the call, although the Mets had a crowded corner outfield situation even before the acquisition of Jay Bruce at the deadline. You’d think they could have found regular playing time for Baseball Prospectus’s No. 4 midseason prospect, especially as the offense sputtered through the summer.

Scouting Report: To rate a corner outfielder this high as a prospect, you better be able to hit, and Conforto ticks both the hit and power boxes with a big, bold ‘X’. There is a school of scouting thought that says “just pick the best hitter, worry about the rest out later” If you subscribe to that, Conforto had a midseason case for No. 1. The power jumps out at you right away, the ball just sounds different coming off the bat, and it plays to all fields. He doesn’t look the part of the big, hulking slugger, but he has huge forearms and plenty of bat speed. It isn’t a one-dimensional offensive profile either. Conforto is a plus hitter with a major-league-quality approach at the plate. In his minor league career he has had a bit of a platoon split, but nothing that suggests he won’t be able to handle major league lefties with more reps, and has stayed in well against them in my looks.

He is best-suited to left field, a position currently manned by Yoenis Cespedes. Reports out of college were bearish on his defense, but he is a better athlete than he looks, and has a solid, accurate arm, albeit one that would be stretched in right. He projects as average to maybe a tick above in left. Of course the 51s have been playing him off-and-on in center field, which is a stretch even by this organization’s liberal interpretation of “up-the-middle” tools. Conforto is a smart baserunner, and only a below-average runner at present, although you would expect him to slide down the scale as he moves into his mid-to-late 20s. The overall package here is a first-division leftfielder, one with the potential to make a few All-Star games along the way.

Immediate Big League Future: Well, one of the reasons the Mets couldn’t find room for our midseason No. 4 prospect is manager Terry Collins’ predilection for veterans. Despite the second half struggles of Curtis Granderson (.188/.258/.367 since the All-Star Break) and Jay Bruce (.169/.253/.281 as a Met), both have continued to get penciled into the lineup most days. Conforto offers more offensive upside than either at the point, which should be an attractive proposition to a team that will need to ride a month-long wave of overperformance if they want to sneak into a wild card spot. But most likely Conforto will be limited to pinch-hitting appearances and the occasional Sunday start as the season winds down. Hopefully he will be able to stake his claim for a 2017 roster spot despite what is likely to be irregular playing time.

Photo Credit- Steve Mitchell: USA Today Sports