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And yet, I spend daily time thinking about Conforto — his potential, his plausible upside. He’s one of fantasy’s most exciting, and most frustrating, what-if players. There’s a Conforto conundrum we need to discuss.
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You probably know some of the Conforto story by now. He made a .270/.335/.506 splash in his rookie year, homering nine times in essentially one-third of a season. Heady stuff for a 22-year-old, a former first-round pick, a pedigree guy. Hop aboard the escalator, we’re moving up.
Everything crashed on Conforto last season, sophomore year. Some bad mechanical habits were part of it, sure, but Terry Collins and the Mets jerked him around like a yo-yo. Conforto’s .220/.310/.414 slash was a major step backwards, and he even returned to the minors for a month (where he crushed, a 1.209 OPS in Las Vegas). Entering 2017, Conforto was projected as a New York reserve.
He’s made the most of his 15 plate-appearances thus far — two homers, two walks, one HBP, a silly .417/.533/1.000 slash. He had a clutch RBI double in Thursday’s marathon win over Miami (Mets Twitter treated this like a playoff game). We’d be singing the redemption song and demanding a pickup, if only he had a dedicated spot to play.
New York has three veteran outfielders blocking Conforto’s way. Obviously Yoenis Cespedes has to play, and he’s been on a tear all week. Jay Bruce is off to a fast start after his own messy 2016. And Curtis Granderson isn’t going to be rashly tossed aside, no matter that he’s on the back nine of his career.
Maybe Conforto will need an outfield injury to press into the regular mix. Or perhaps an injury or slump from 1B Lucas Duda is a path for Conforto — Bruce has a little first-base experience, a wheel play could ensue. Obviously the Mets don’t have a DH slot to play with, save for the occasional AL visit. And there’s not a natural platoon partner; Cespedes is too good to sit, while Bruce and Granderson, like Conforto, swing from the left side.
A lot of talk about a fourth outfielder, isn’t it? Nonetheless, I want Conforto on your radar, and in some leagues, on your bench. Obviously every league is different — in shallow leagues, bench players need to have current value; deeper leagues allow for more lottery tickets. All I know is this — if Conforto came into a starting job anytime soon, he’d become an instant “do not pass go, pick him up immediately” type of player. So it’s better to have the discussion now.
I know some of you will shake your heads and say it’s a mistake to assume rational coaching from Collins. He’s had trouble with younger players the past, be it from his own resolve or the people above him. But sometimes these logjams have a way of sorting themselves out.
Maybe I’m frustrated that Conforto is owned in so many of my leagues; I’d like more shares than I have. But helping you is always the first aim, the greatest reward. In some formats, this is the perfect person for the last bench spot, the plausible upside spot. Kick the case around.