Future’s bright for Conforto
CINCINNATI — Michael Conforto is quiet, but confident. The Mets prospect looked around the Reds clubhouse, which Sunday was filled with the top U.S. prospects in baseball, and said he is ready. The outfielder with lefthanded power was not just ready for the Futures Game, but the 22-year-old says he’s ready for whatever comes his way this season. “I feel ready. I feel I am confident,” Conforto said Sunday morning when asked if he was prepared for the major leagues. “I think there are some things I need to work on. I need to get better in the outfield. My approach needs some work. I have to be able to adapt quicker, as quick as possible.
“But every day I play in the minor leagues I am getting better,” Conforto said. “The people who make those decisions, they will let me know when they think I am ready. And then I will be ready to go up there.”
Conforto showed improved defense Sunday when he made a strong throw to nail a runner at the plate in the second inning. He also went 2-for-2 with line drives to center and right for the U.S. team, which beat the World team 10-1 at Great American Ballpark. Conforto, the Mets’ firstround pick in 2014 (10th overall) out of Oregon State, is learning to make adjustments to how he’s pitched, the biggest lesson he says he’s learned so far. He is hitting .312 with three home runs and 21 RBI in 37 games with Double-A Binghamton. He was hitting .283 with seven homers and 28 RBI in 46 games at High-A when he was promoted.
He is also adapting to being in the spotlight. Last week, Sandy Alderson said the Mets had considered calling up Conforto to bolster their struggling offense, but the Mets GM added Conforto is likely to stay in Binghamton for a while.
“Well it’s cool to be on the prospect called-up side of that,” Conforto said. “I never really thought I’d be in the biggest market in sports, and once I did get drafted by the Mets it was awesome. Now to be called on by the sports fans of New York, that’s pretty cool and to be in New York papers, that’s awesome.
“I can’t really get wrapped up in that though,” Conforto said. “I have to worry about my performance.”
Along those lines, Conforto and his Binghamton Mets teammate Brandon Nimmo are helping each other out. The two 22-year-old, lefty-hitting outfielders had their lockers next to each other in the clubhouse Sunday, just like they are in Binghamton. Having Conforto around has been a big boost for Nimmo, who went 1-for-2 with an RBI Sunday. “We have been able to bounce ideas off each other a lot,” said Nimmo, who was making his second Futures Games appearance. “We are a little similar. We both hit from the same side of the plate, similar approaches to the game. With that, we’ve developed a relationship on the field and off the field too, because really our lives revolves around baseball.”
Nimmo, the 13th overall pick of the 2011 draft, was the first pick of the Alderson regime and part of the plan to rebuild the Mets. In 60 games between St. Lucie and Binghamton, Nimmo is hitting .278 with two home runs and 15 RBI this year.
TOUGH TO JUDGE
Yankees outfield prospect Aaron Judge went 1-for-3 in the Futures Game, legging out an infield single. Before the game, he talked about how conversations with Alex Rodriguez, Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran this spring have helped him, but he remains focused on his Triple-A task.
“It could happen at anytime, could have gotten called up last year,” Judge said. “I am just trying to be where my feet are and right now I am at the Futures Game and I am trying to focus on that and have fun.”
Yankee catching prospect Gary Sanchez went 1-for-2 with a double for the World team.