After a productive start to his career with the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants, Michael Conforto joined the Los Angeles Dodgers on a one-year, $17 million contract to be their primary left fielder for the 2025 season.
Conforto has always been known for his bat, but so far he has struggled to begin his tenure with the Dodgers. He enters the weekend batting just .172 with 12 extra-base hits in 50 games this season.
Conforto was recently mired in a 1-for-40 slump but then seemed to be turning a corner. However, the moments of success proved fleeting rather than a launching point for sustained success.
The 32-year-old is posting career lows in several offensive categories, but manager Dave Roberts is factoring in Conforto’s as reason for keeping him in the Dodgers lineup, via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“There’s a point, yeah,” Roberts said. “Production certainly warrants opportunity. I do feel his track record has given him a longer leash, which he has earned.”
Conforto is a former first-round draft pick with four 20-home run seasons and one All-Star appearance under his belt. Before this year, Conforto never posted an OPS+ below 95 in any of his 10 big league seasons.
Although the first two months of the regular season have been disappointing for Conforto, the Dodgers remain hopeful that adjustments will lead to better results at the plate.
Conforto has been making hard contact with consistency and continues to reach base at an above-average rate, which are all encouraging signs for a potential turnaround.
Michael Conforto working on ‘a lot of different things’
Conforto has indeed begun to see better results at the plate and reached base three times in the Dodgers’ 9-5 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday, going 2-for-3 with his first home run since April 5.
Conforto has made an effort to improve his pitch selection and bat path, among other parts of his offensive game.
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