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The Dodgers picked up a left-handed-hitting outfielder this previous week — no, not that one — who stands to learn from a change of surroundings.
Los Angeles signed Michael Conforto to a one-year, $17 million deal on Tuesday, including readability to the outfield image now that Tommy Edman is predicted to get the majority of his enjoying time in heart discipline as a ripple impact of Mookie Betts’ transfer to shortstop. Conforto is able to enjoying each nook outfield spots, although all of his appearances within the discipline final season have been in left.
Talking on the Winter Conferences in Dallas, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman revealed that the Dodgers’ curiosity in Conforto goes again additional than this offseason.
“He’s a man that we reached out on on the Commerce Deadline final yr,” Friedman mentioned. “Revered him from afar for some time. It’s not usually for a man that they’re each a floor-raiser with ceiling.”
Conforto spent his final two seasons with San Francisco after lacking a yr recovering from shoulder surgical procedure, and whereas he swung an above-average bat (108 OPS+) from 2023-24, he by no means fairly reached the identical heights as in his first seven seasons with the Mets (124 OPS+).
However a glance underneath the hood reveals that Conforto, who turns 32 on March 1, may very well be a robust under-the-radar pickup, particularly as a result of he’ll not play his dwelling video games at Oracle Park.
In 2024, Conforto posted a .632 OPS at dwelling in contrast with .852 on the highway. He hit 17 of his 20 homers — and notched 51 of his 66 RBIs — away from Oracle Park. In nearly each offensive stat, Conforto was a much more productive participant on the highway.
The Giants’ dwelling ballpark is notoriously robust for hitters, particularly lefties. The space to the right-field foul pole is a mere 309 ft, with a excessive fence, however Triples Alley in right-center is 415 ft away from the plate. Conforto is not strictly a pull hitter — he is hovered round league common in that regard — however he is proven extra energy to proper discipline in his profession.
That is to not say that enjoying extra video games at Dodger Stadium is a slam dunk, as Conforto owns a .588 OPS in 30 video games at his new dwelling discipline.
Digging deeper, Conforto reliably hit the ball arduous in 2024. With the caveat that anticipated statistics are usually not predictive, some significantly encouraging numbers have been his .350 xwOBA and .479 xSLG, which ranked within the eighty fifth and 89th percentiles, respectively, amongst certified Main Leaguers. That speaks to his general ability and high quality of contact.
Add in the truth that Conforto ranked within the 81st percentile in chase charge, and there is a lot to love about how he has progressed since coming back from his shoulder damage. His 2024 season wasn’t flashy, however there have been moments when he appeared like his previous self, particularly within the final two months.
Curiously, final yr was an outlier in that Conforto had reverse splits, albeit in a a lot smaller pattern. He posted a .724 OPS in 382 plate appearances vs. right-handers in contrast with a .886 OPS in 106 plate appearances vs. lefties.
“I do not imagine Michael Conforto is now a greater hitter vs. left than proper,” basic supervisor Brandon Gomes mentioned, “however I do suppose along with his swing and his path, there was some actual sign that you may purchase into that he he’ll deal with left-handers in a greater manner than he traditionally has, and he nonetheless will keep a really excessive stage vs. proper, particularly whenever you take a look at what he did on the highway and a number of the under-the-hood stuff.”
Anticipate Conforto to hit someplace in the midst of the order, the place he ought to have ample alternative to drive in runs. He is probably not the most important addition to the outfield this offseason, because the Dodgers nonetheless have curiosity in bringing again Teoscar Hernández — however his potential to place collectively influence at-bats shouldn’t be ignored.
