# Michael Conforto
**Michael Conforto** (Michael Thomas Conforto, born 1993 in Seattle, Washington) is an American professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball. A left-handed hitter drafted 10th overall by the [New York Mets](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-york-mets) in 2014, he has played 11 major league seasons with the Mets, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Cubs, batting .245 with 194 home runs and a .786 OPS over 4,084 career at-bats.[1](https://www.mlbplayers.com/players/michael-conforto) • [2](https://www.milb.com/player/michael-conforto-624424)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / debut | 1993, Seattle, WA; MLB debut 2015 with the Mets[1](https://www.mlbplayers.com/players/michael-conforto) |
| Draft | 2014, Round 1, 10th overall, New York Mets, from Oregon State University[3](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/confomi01.shtml) |
| Career line | 11 seasons: .245 AVG, .342 OBP, .444 SLG, .786 OPS, 194 HR, 601 RBI, 24 SB[2](https://www.milb.com/player/michael-conforto-624424) |
| Best power season | 33 home runs in 2019, his career high; career average is 17 per season[4](https://theoneanalytics.com/mlb/players/michael-conforto) |
| Signature injury | Missed the entire 2022 season after right shoulder surgery; previously had left shoulder surgery in 2017[1](https://www.mlbplayers.com/players/michael-conforto) • [5](https://www.mlb.com/news/michael-conforto-on-way-to-becoming-a-star) |
| Defense | Plus-13 outs above average in the outfield from 2016 to 2021, minus-14 since[6](https://www.mlb.com/cubs/news/michael-conforto-cubs-deal?partnerId=it-20260228-17050701-mlb-1-A) |
| Current team | Signed to a minor league contract by the Cubs on February 26, 2026; contract selected March 25, 2026[2](https://www.milb.com/player/michael-conforto-624424) |
## Early career with the Mets
The Mets selected his contract from Double-A Binghamton on July 24, 2015, and he debuted that night.[2](https://www.milb.com/player/michael-conforto-624424) His rookie season included a first major league home run on August 3 at Miami, six outfield assists tied for the most in the [National League](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-league) by a rookie, and a place on the Mets' World Series roster. In the 2015 [World Series](https://www.edgepedia.org/world-series) he became the second Mets player with a multi-home run game, joining [Gary Carter](https://www.edgepedia.org/gary-carter), and at the time was the third-youngest player to do so in Series history.[7](https://pressbox.athletics.com/Publications/MLB%20Media%20Guides/Archives/2018%20Media%20Guides/2018_NYM_MediaGuide.pdf)
His 2017 season was his breakout: he led the Mets with a .939 OPS, earned his first All-Star selection, and established himself as a middle-of-the-order hitter before a left shoulder dislocation in August 2017 required surgery and ended his year.[5](https://www.mlb.com/news/michael-conforto-on-way-to-becoming-a-star) • [2](https://www.milb.com/player/michael-conforto-624424) He rebounded in 2018 with 28 home runs, 17 of them after the All-Star break, and peaked in 2019 with a career-best 33 home runs.[5](https://www.mlb.com/news/michael-conforto-on-way-to-becoming-a-star) • [4](https://theoneanalytics.com/mlb/players/michael-conforto)
## Injuries and the lost 2022 season
**Shoulder problems shaped his career arc.** After the 2017 left shoulder surgery, Conforto's first foray into free agency after the 2021 season collapsed when he suffered a right shoulder injury that required surgery in April 2022, causing his market to evaporate; he missed the entire 2022 season.[8](https://www.mlb.com/bluejays/news/michael-conforto-discusses-rehab-after-year-away) • [1](https://www.mlbplayers.com/players/michael-conforto) The injury history also eroded his defensive value: he posted plus-13 outs above average in the outfield from 2016 through 2021, then minus-14 afterward.[6](https://www.mlb.com/cubs/news/michael-conforto-cubs-deal?partnerId=it-20260228-17050701-mlb-1-A)
## Giants, Dodgers, and Cubs
He hit 20 home runs in 2024 but slumped to a .237 average, then signed with the [Los Angeles Dodgers](https://www.edgepedia.org/los-angeles-dodgers) in December 2024.[9](https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/michael-conforto-624424) • [2](https://www.milb.com/player/michael-conforto-624424) His 2025 season in Los Angeles was his worst, a .199 average with 12 home runs and a .638 OPS, and he elected free agency that November.[9](https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/michael-conforto-624424) • [2](https://www.milb.com/player/michael-conforto-624424)
The Cubs signed him to a minor league contract with a spring training invitation on February 26, 2026, and selected his contract from Triple-A Iowa on March 25, 2026.[2](https://www.milb.com/player/michael-conforto-624424) In 2026 he rebounded to .240 with 15 home runs, 45 RBI, and a .800 OPS, splitting time between left field and right field and serving as a designated hitter.[2](https://www.milb.com/player/michael-conforto-624424) • [10](https://fantasyteamadvice.com/mlb/players/4167/michael-conforto/advanced)
## Hitting profile
Conforto's swing has been described by Mets hitting coach Chili Davis as "a pretty swing," compact and without wasted effort, and he grew up northeast of Seattle idolizing [Ken Griffey Jr.](https://www.edgepedia.org/ken-griffey-jr)[5](https://www.mlb.com/news/michael-conforto-on-way-to-becoming-a-star) His most distinctive skill is opposite-field power: since his July 2015 debut, only eight major leaguers had hit more opposite-field home runs, and nearly 40 percent of his extra-base hits went to left field and left-center.[5](https://www.mlb.com/news/michael-conforto-on-way-to-becoming-a-star) His plate discipline has remained a strength late in his career; in 2025 he ranked in the 82nd percentile in chase rate and the 84th percentile in walk rate even while his overall production lagged.[11](https://www.rotowire.com/baseball/player-splits.php?id=13371)
## Union role
Conforto served as a Player Representative for several years while with the Mets and remained engaged in collective bargaining agreement talks during the Covid-shortened 2021 season, describing the experience as showing him "the power of our union, the unity of the players."[1](https://www.mlbplayers.com/players/michael-conforto)
## References
1. [Michael Conforto, MLBPA player profile](https://www.mlbplayers.com/players/michael-conforto)
2. [Michael Conforto, MiLB.com player page with career stats and transactions](https://www.milb.com/player/michael-conforto-624424)
3. [Michael Conforto, Baseball-Reference](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/confomi01.shtml)
4. [Michael Conforto career trends, The One Analytics](https://theoneanalytics.com/mlb/players/michael-conforto)
5. [Michael Conforto on way to becoming a star, MLB.com](https://www.mlb.com/news/michael-conforto-on-way-to-becoming-a-star)
6. [Michael Conforto agrees to Minor League deal with Cubs, MLB.com](https://www.mlb.com/cubs/news/michael-conforto-cubs-deal?partnerId=it-20260228-17050701-mlb-1-A)
7. [2018 New York Mets Media Guide, CONFORTO, MICHAEL](https://pressbox.athletics.com/Publications/MLB%20Media%20Guides/Archives/2018%20Media%20Guides/2018_NYM_MediaGuide.pdf)
8. [Michael Conforto discusses rehab after year away, MLB.com](https://www.mlb.com/bluejays/news/michael-conforto-discusses-rehab-after-year-away)
9. [Michael Conforto Statcast page, Baseball Savant](https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/michael-conforto-624424)
10. [Michael Conforto 2026 Advanced Stats, FantasyTeamAdvice](https://fantasyteamadvice.com/mlb/players/4167/michael-conforto/advanced)
11. [Michael Conforto MLB Split Stats, RotoWire](https://www.rotowire.com/baseball/player-splits.php?id=13371)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Baseball and related bat sports › Professional baseball in the Americas › MLB players and personnel biographies › Outfielders › Outfielders active since 2000 › Surnames A to H*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license