Michael Conforto
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Michael Thomas Conforto (born March 1, 1993), nicknamed "Scooter", is an American professional
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...
for the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
of
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
and
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
. After Conforto played
college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...
for the
Oregon State Beavers The Oregon State Beavers are the sport, athletic teams that represent Oregon State University, located in Corvallis, Oregon. The Beavers compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I (NCAA Division I ...
, the Mets selected him in the first round of the
2014 MLB draft The 2014 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 5 through June 7, 2014, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first two rounds were conducted on June 5, followed by rounds three through ten on June 6, and the last 30 round ...
with the 10th overall pick. He made his MLB debut in 2015. He was an
All-Star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...
in 2017, and an All-MLB Second Team outfielder in 2020. He became a
free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
after the 2021 season, but missed the 2022 season due to a shoulder injury.


Early life

Conforto represented the Northwest Region in the
Little League World Series The Little League World Series is an annual baseball tournament for children (primarily boys) aged 10 to 12 years old, held in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Originally called the National Little League Tournament, it was later renamed for th ...
in
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
. He attended Redmond High School in
Redmond, Washington Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located east of Seattle. The population was 73,256 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Redmond is best known as the home of Microsoft and Nintendo of America. The city h ...
, where he was an honor roll student. He played
shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball positions, baseball or softball fielding position between second base, second and third base, which is considered to be among the Defensive spectrum, most demanding defensive positions. Historically, the ...
on the baseball team, and
quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
and
safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...
on the
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
team. In football, he was named second-team All-State. As a football player, Conforto was recruited by
Ivy League The Ivy League is an American collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference of eight Private university, private Research university, research universities in the Northeastern United States. It participates in the National Collegia ...
schools. In baseball, he batted .310 as a sophomore, .361 as a junior (when he was All-State), and .400 as a senior (when he was named All-State and All-League). Meanwhile, Conforto received offers to play baseball at
Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
,
Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
, Arizona State, Washington,
Washington State Washington, officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is often referred to as Washington State to distinguish it from the national capital, both named after George Washington ...
,
Stanford Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth governor of and th ...
, and Oregon State.


College career

As a freshman at
Oregon State University Oregon State University (OSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate degree programs and a variety of graduate and doctor ...
in 2012, Conforto hit .349/.437/.601 with 13
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...
s (tied for 1st), 12 hit-by-pitch (7th), and led the Pac-12 with 76
runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...
(RBIs) in 218 at bats over 58 games. His 76 RBIs were an Oregon State single-season record. He was named Freshman Hitter of the Year by the
National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) is an association of baseball writers, broadcasters, and publicists in the United States. It was founded in 1962. The NCBWA compiles a preseason ranking of the top 30 teams in the n ...
(NCBWA) and was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. During the summer he played for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. As a sophomore in 2013, Conforto hit .328/.447 (2nd)/.526 (8th) with 48 runs (7th), 14 doubles (8th), 11 home runs (tied for 1st), 47 RBIs (7th), 41 walks (1st), and 14 hit-by-pitch (5th) in 247 at bats over 65 games. He helped lead the team to the
College World Series The College World Series (CWS), officially the NCAA Men's College World Series (MCWS), is a baseball tournament held each June in Omaha, Nebraska. It is the culmination of the NCAA Division I baseball tournament—featuring 64 teams in the ...
, where he went 7-for-16 and was named to the All-Tournament Team. He was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year, and was named a first-team All-American by the
American Baseball Coaches Association The American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) is the world's largest Amateur baseball in the United States, amateur baseball Manager (baseball), coaching organization. It was founded in 1945 as the American Association of College Baseball Coach ...
(ABCA). He again played for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team during the summer in 2013. Prior to the 2014 season, he was named the preseason ''
Sporting News ''The Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a ...
'' College Baseball Player of the Year. Conforto finished the season hitting .345 (4th)/.504 (1st).547 (2nd) with 52 runs (1st), 16 doubles (3rd), seven home runs (3rd), 56 RBIs (2nd), and 55 walks (1st), and 12 hit-by-pitch (9th) in 203 at bats over 59 games. He again was named the Pac-12 Baseball Player of the Year. He was also a finalist for the
Golden Spikes Award The Golden Spikes Award is bestowed annually to the best amateur baseball player in the United States. The award, created by USA Baseball and sponsored by the Major League Baseball Players Association, was first presented in 1978. It is given to ...
and the Dick Howser Trophy.


Professional career


Draft and minor leagues

The
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
selected Conforto in the first round, with the 10th overall selection, of the
2014 Major League Baseball draft The 2014 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 5 through June 7, 2014, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first two rounds were conducted on June 5, followed by rounds three through ten on June 6, and the last 30 round ...
. Conforto signed with the Mets on July 11, 2014, receiving a $2,970,800
signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
. He played for the Brooklyn Cyclones of the
Class A-Short Season Class A Short Season (officially Short-Season A) was a level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States from 1965 through 2020. In the hierarchy of minor league classifications, it was below Triple-A, Double-A, Class A-Advanced (crea ...
New York–Penn League The New York–Penn League (NYPL) was a Minor League Baseball league that operated in the northeastern United States from 1939 to 2020. Classified as a Class A Short Season league, its season started in June, after major-league teams signed th ...
after he signed. He batted .331 (5th in the league)/.403 (5th)/.448 with 3 home runs, 19 RBIs, and 5 hit-by-pitch (8th) in 163 at bats, and was named a ''
Baseball America ''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...
'' Short-Season All Star. Conforto started the 2015 season with the St. Lucie Mets of the
Class A-Advanced High-A, officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing, is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A and D ...
Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...
, for whom he batted .283/.350/.462 (4th in the league) with 7 home runs and 28 RBIs in 206 at bats, and led the league with six intentional walks. He was promoted to the Binghamton Mets of the
Class AA Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League B ...
Eastern League on June 26, 2015, for whom he batted .312/.396 (8th in the league)/.503 with 5 home runs and 26 RBIs in 197 at bats. On July 12, 2015, at
Great American Ball Park Great American Ball Park is a baseball stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. It is the ballpark of Major League Baseball's Cincinnati Reds, and opened on March 31, 2003, replacing Cinergy Field (formerly Riverfront Stadium), the Reds' fo ...
in
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
, he started in left field for the United States team at the
All-Star Futures Game The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game hosted by Major League Baseball (MLB) in conjunction with the mid-summer MLB All-Star Game. A team of American League-affiliated prospects competes against a team of National League- ...
and collected two hits and one assist. He was named an FSL Mid-Season All Star, and to the 2015 Topps Rookie All-Star team. In 2016 with AAA Las Vegas in the
Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
, Conforto batted .422 (leading the PCL)/.483 (first)/.727 (2nd) with 30 runs, 9 home runs, and 28 RBIs with a 1.209 OPS in 128 at bats.


New York Mets (2015–2021)

On July 24, 2015, the Mets promoted Conforto to the major leagues. He made his debut later that day, picking up his first major league RBI on a groundout, but going 0-for-3 while becoming the 1,000th player to appear in a game for the Mets. The next day, he collected his first major league hit, an RBI, as part of a four-hit game. He hit his first major-league home run on August 3 off
Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...
' starter Tom Koehler. He finished the season batting .270/.335/.506 with 30 runs, 9 home runs, and 26 RBIs in 174 at bats over 56 games played, and was in the top 3% in the major leagues with a maximum exit velocity of 115 mph. On defense, he exclusively played left field. The Mets won the 2015 National League pennant, making Conforto the third player in history to have played in the
Little League World Series The Little League World Series is an annual baseball tournament for children (primarily boys) aged 10 to 12 years old, held in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Originally called the National Little League Tournament, it was later renamed for th ...
,
College World Series The College World Series (CWS), officially the NCAA Men's College World Series (MCWS), is a baseball tournament held each June in Omaha, Nebraska. It is the culmination of the NCAA Division I baseball tournament—featuring 64 teams in the ...
, and Major League
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
, along with pitcher Ed Vosberg and catcher Jason Varitek. Conforto hit two home runs in Game 4 of the 2015 World Series, becoming the first rookie to homer twice in a world series game since
Andruw Jones Andruw Rudolf Jones (; born April 23, 1977) is a Curaçaoan former professional baseball center fielder who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), most notably for the Atlanta Braves. Jones also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tex ...
accomplished the feat in Game 1 of the
1996 World Series The 1996 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1996 Major League Baseball season, 1996 season. The 92nd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (bas ...
. Entering 2016, Conforto became the Mets everyday left fielder. After a torrid start in April, Conforto began to slump once May came. From May 1 to June 25, 2016, Conforto's batting average dipped to .130. On June 25, the Mets demoted Conforto to the Las Vegas 51s of the
Class AAA Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). ...
Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
and called up Brandon Nimmo. Conforto was recalled to the majors on July 18. After his return to the Mets, Conforto began playing both corner outfield positions. He made his major league debut in center field on July 23, 2016, as a defensive replacement. For the season, he batted .220/.310/.414 with 12 home runs and 42 RBIs in 304 at bats for the Mets, and was again in the top 3% in the major leagues with a maximum exit velocity of 115.0 mph. Conforto started the 2017 season as the Mets fourth outfielder but worked his way to a starting job. He was selected to the 2017 MLB All-Star Game in
Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
after hitting .285/.405/.548 through the first half. On August 24, during a game against the
Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...
, Conforto suffered a season-ending injury during a swing, as he dislocated his left shoulder and tore his posterior capsule. He elected to have surgery on September 2. For the 2017 season, Conforto batted .279/.384/.555 with 27 home runs and 68 RBIs in 373 at bats. In 2018, Conforto hit .243/.350/.448 and led the Mets with 28 home runs, 82 RBIs, and 78 runs scored, as his 84 walks were 8th in the NL and his 159 strikeouts were 7th in the league, in 543 at bats. He had the 11th-longest home run in baseball for the season, at 472 feet. On May 28, 2019, Conforto hit his first career grand slam against the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
at
Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium is a ballpark in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the home of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a ...
. He finished the season batting .257/.363/.494 with a .856 OPS, career highs in home runs (33) and RBIs (92), as he had 84 walks (9th in the NL), in 549 at bats. In 2020 for the Mets, Conforto played in 54 games, batting .322 (7th in the NL)/.412 (6th)/.515 with 40 runs, 9 home runs, 31 RBIs, and 7 hit by pitch (6th) in 202 at bats. He was in the top 5% in the major leagues with a maximum exit velocity of 114.4 mph. He led NL outfielders in assists, with six, playing right field exclusively. Prior to the 2021 season, the Mets offered Conforto a $100 million contract extension, which he declined. On April 8, 2021, Conforto was the batter during a rare walk-off
hit by pitch In baseball, hit by pitch (HBP) is an event in which a batter or his clothing or equipment (other than his bat) is struck directly by a pitch from the pitcher; the batter is called a hit batsman (HB). A hit batsman is awarded first base, provide ...
to win a game against the
Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...
. The HBP call was controversial, with umpire
Ron Kulpa Ronald Clarence Kulpa (born October 5, 1968) is an American umpire (baseball), umpire in Major League Baseball. He wears uniform number 46. Umpiring career Kulpa's professional umpiring career began in 1992 and he advanced to the Pacific Coast L ...
saying after watching a post-game replay that he felt his call was in error, and that Conforto instead should have been charged with a strike. On September 30, Conforto was entering a game against the Marlins in what could have been his final game as a Met at
Citi Field Citi Field is a baseball park, baseball stadium located in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, in the Boroughs of New York, borough of Queens, New York City, United States. Opened in 2009, Citi Field is the home of Major League Baseball's New York M ...
. Conforto went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a double. He made his mark defensively as well: In the top of the ninth inning, up 12-3, Conforto recorded the second out of the inning with an impressive diving catch. Following the play, he received a standing ovation from the fans, despite a disappointing 2021 season. Conforto appeared to be in tears, and later described his emotions during the game as "something I've never really felt before". He also acknowledged first base coach Tony Tarasco, who held Conforto's hand up in the air before Conforto entered the dugout. Conforto finished the 2021 season batting .232/.344/.384 with 14 home runs and 55 RBIs in 406 at bats, with a career-worst slugging percentage, as well as a batting average and OPS worse than any season of his aside from 2016, which was the first year he began the season in the majors. On defense, he exclusively played right field.


Free agency (2022)

Following the 2021 season, the Mets offered him a
qualifying offer A restricted free agent (RFA) is a type of free agent in some sports leagues, such as the National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), and National Basketball Association (NBA). Such players have special restrictions on the term ...
(one-year for $18.4 million), which Conforto also declined, instead choosing free agency. The
2021–22 Major League Baseball lockout The 2021–22 Major League Baseball lockout was the ninth work stoppage in Major League Baseball (MLB) history. It began at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time Zone, EST on December 2, 2021, after MLB owners voted unanimously to enact a Lockout (sp ...
delayed free agency talks that offseason. Conforto started the 2022 season as a free agent. His agent, Scott Boras, later released a statement saying that an offseason shoulder injury suffered in January 2022 during a workout resulted in Conforto not starting the season with a contract. In April, Boras said that Conforto underwent right shoulder surgery and would not play at all in 2022. Because he didn't sign with a team before the 2022 MLB draft, the Mets did not receive a compensation draft pick for Conforto rejecting their qualifying offer.


San Francisco Giants (2023–2024)

On January 6, 2023, Conforto signed a two-year, $36 million contract with the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
, containing an opt-out clause after the first season. After the 2023 season, Conforto opted in for the 2024 season at $18 million. In his two seasons with the Giants, Conforto compiled 35 home runs, a .238 batting average, .740 OPS, and 108 OPS+ in 255 games played.


Los Angeles Dodgers

On December 10, 2024, Conforto signed a one-year, $17 million contract with the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
. He hit his first home run for the Dodgers against the
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
at Dodger Stadium on 2 April.


Personal life

Conforto's mother, Tracie Conforto (née Ruiz), is a three-time Olympic medalist in
synchronized swimming Synchronized swimming (in British English, synchronised swimming), also known as artistic swimming, is a sport where swimmers perform a synchronized choreographed routine, accompanied by music. The sport is governed internationally by World A ...
, and his father, Mike, an Italian American, played inside linebacker at
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with ca ...
. His sister, Jacqueline, played
soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
at
Azusa Pacific University Azusa Pacific University (APU) is a private evangelical research university in Azusa, California, United States. The university was founded in 1899 in Whittier, California, with classes first held on March 3, 1900, and degrees offered in 193 ...
. Conforto got engaged to longtime girlfriend Cabernet Burns in January 2021. The couple married in December the same year. Their first child, a son named Camden, was born in December 2023. Conforto resides in
Scottsdale, Arizona Scottsdale is a city in eastern Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, and is part of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Named Scottsdale in 1894 after its founder Winfield Scott (chaplain), Winfield Scott, a retired Chaplain Corps (United States ...
, during the offseason. He is represented by Scott Boras.


See also

* 2013 College Baseball All-America Team


References


External links


Oregon State Beavers bio
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Conforto, Michael 1993 births Living people All-American college baseball players American people of Italian descent American people of Spanish descent Baseball players from King County, Washington Binghamton Mets players Brooklyn Cyclones players 21st-century American sportsmen Las Vegas 51s players Los Angeles Dodgers players Major League Baseball outfielders National League All-Stars New York Mets players Oregon State Beavers baseball players Sportspeople from Woodinville, Washington Sacramento River Cats players San Francisco Giants players Sportspeople from Redmond, Washington St. Lucie Mets players Syracuse Mets players United States national baseball team players