Michael Conforto Bio
Michael Thomas Conforto, nicknamed “Scooter”, is an American professional baseball outfielder who has played in Major League Baseball for the New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Chicago Cubs. Born on March 1, 1993, Conforto was selected tenth overall by the New York Mets in the 2014 MLB Draft and made his major league debut in 2015. He earned All-Star honors in 2017 and was named to the All-MLB Second Team in 2020. Throughout his career, Conforto has established himself as a powerful hitter with exceptional bat speed and exit velocity, accumulating 183 career home runs and 571 runs batted in through June 2026.
Early Life and Background
Conforto grew up in Redmond, Washington, where he attended Redmond High School and excelled in both baseball and football. In 2004, he represented the Northwest Region in the Little League World Series. On the football field, he served as quarterback and safety, earning second-team All-State honors. He also received recruitment interest from Ivy League schools for football. His athletic pedigree was evident from an early age, with both parents having distinguished sports backgrounds.
His mother, Tracie Conforto (née Ruiz), is a three-time Olympic medalist in synchronized swimming, and his father, Mike Conforto, played inside linebacker at Penn State University. His sister, Jacqueline, played soccer at Azusa Pacific University. This family legacy of athletic excellence provided Conforto with a strong foundation for his own professional career.
Path to Professional Baseball
During his high school baseball career at Redmond High School, Conforto steadily improved his offensive production, posting batting averages of .310 as a sophomore, .361 as a junior, and .400 as a senior. He earned All-State honors in both his junior and senior seasons and was named All-League. His performance attracted offers from several major college baseball programs, including Oregon, Arizona, Arizona State, Washington, Washington State, Stanford, and Oregon State. He ultimately chose to continue his baseball career at Oregon State University.
Conforto became one of the most dominant college hitters in the country during his three seasons with the Oregon State Beavers from 2012 to 2014. As a freshman, he led the Pac-12 with 76 runs batted in, setting a single-season school record. He earned Freshman Hitter of the Year honors from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. His sophomore campaign saw him named Pac-12 Player of the Year and a first-team All-American. Before his junior season, he was named the preseason Sporting News College Baseball Player of the Year, and he repeated as Pac-12 Player of the Year while also becoming a finalist for both the Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser Trophy. He played for the USA Baseball collegiate national team during the summers of 2012 and 2013.
Michael Conforto Career
Minor Leagues and Draft (2014)
The New York Mets selected Conforto in the first round of the 2014 MLB Draft with the tenth overall pick. He signed with the team on July 11, 2014, receiving a $2,970,800 signing bonus. He began his professional career with the Brooklyn Cyclones of the Class A-Short Season New York-Penn League, where he batted .331 with three home runs and 19 runs batted in over 163 at-bats. His performance earned him recognition as a Baseball America Short-Season All-Star.
He progressed rapidly through the Mets minor league system, playing for the St. Lucie Mets of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League in 2015, where he led the league with six intentional walks. He was promoted to the Binghamton Mets of the Class AA Eastern League in late June 2015 and continued his strong offensive production. On July 12, 2015, he started in left field for the United States team at the All-Star Futures Game in Cincinnati, collecting two hits and one assist.
New York Mets Breakthrough (2015–2021)
Conforto received his call-up to the major leagues on July 24, 2015, and made his MLB debut that same day. He collected his first major league RBI on a groundout and became the 1,000th player to appear in a game for the Mets. The following day, he recorded his first major league hit. He hit his first major league home run on August 3 against the Miami Marlins. He finished his rookie season batting .270 with nine home runs and 26 runs batted in over 56 games, and was in the top 3% of major league hitters with a maximum exit velocity of 115 mph.
His most significant achievement came during the 2015 postseason. The Mets won the National League pennant, making Conforto only the third player in history to participate in the Little League World Series, College World Series, and Major League World Series. He hit two home runs in Game 4 of the World Series, becoming the first rookie to homer twice in a World Series game since Andruw Jones in 1996.
After serving as the Mets everyday left fielder in 2016, Conforto experienced a significant demotion in June when his batting average dropped to .130 over a two-month span. He was sent to Triple-A Las Vegas but was recalled in July and continued his major league career. His 2017 season marked his breakthrough as an elite player, earning him a selection to the MLB All-Star Game after batting .285 with a .953 OPS through the first half. However, a shoulder injury sustained during a swing on August 24 ended his season and required surgery. He finished 2017 with 27 home runs and 68 runs batted in despite the injury.
Conforto led the Mets in several categories over the next several seasons, including 28 home runs and 82 RBIs in 2018. In 2019, he hit his first career grand slam against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium and set career highs with 33 home runs and 92 RBIs. During the shortened 2020 season, he batted .322 with a .927 OPS and was named to the All-MLB Second Team as an outfielder. Prior to the 2021 season, the Mets offered him a $100 million contract extension, which he declined.
San Francisco Giants Era (2023–2024)
After missing the entire 2022 season due to a shoulder injury sustained in January, Conforto signed a two-year, $36 million contract with the San Francisco Giants on January 6, 2023. The contract contained an opt-out clause after the first season. After the 2023 season, Conforto opted in for the 2024 season at $18 million. During his two seasons with the Giants, he proved to be a reliable contributor, combining for 35 home runs, a .238 batting average, and a .740 OPS across 255 games played. His power and experience added valuable depth to the Giants outfield.
Los Angeles Dodgers (2025)
On December 10, 2024, Conforto signed a one-year, $17 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He became the Dodgers starting left fielder entering the season. However, the 2025 season proved challenging as he struggled at the plate, posting the lowest batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage of his career. He played in 138 games with a slash line of .199/.305/.333. Despite his offensive struggles, he continued to receive playing time in a platoon situation. The Dodgers ultimately won the World Series during his tenure, though Conforto was left off the postseason roster.
Playing Style and Strengths
Conforto is recognized for his exceptional power, consistently ranking among the top percentiles in exit velocity throughout his career. He has recorded maximum exit velocities exceeding 114 mph in multiple seasons. His swing produces consistent hard contact, making him a threat for extra-base hits and home runs. Defensively, he plays all three outfield positions with above-average arm strength, making him valuable for throwing out base runners. His versatility allows teams to deploy him in left field, right field, or center field depending on game situations and matchups.
Notable Events and Milestones
Conforto achieved several significant milestones throughout his career. His participation in the 2015 World Series with the Mets made him only the third player in history to play in the Little League World Series, College World Series, and Major League World Series. On May 3, 2026, he hit his first career walk-off home run as a pinch hitter in a Cubs victory over the Cincinnati Reds. His 2017 All-Star selection and 2020 All-MLB Second Team recognition highlight his status as one of the premier outfielders in baseball.
Michael Conforto Career Wins
Throughout his MLB career spanning from 2015 through 2026, Conforto has accumulated impressive offensive statistics across multiple teams. His career totals include 183 home runs and 571 runs batted in over 1,148 games played, with a lifetime batting average of .244.
Career Highlights and Awards
Conforto earned MLB All-Star recognition in 2017 after batting .285 with a .953 OPS in the first half of the season. His 2020 campaign was equally impressive, as he was named to the All-MLB Second Team after hitting .322 with a .927 OPS during the shortened season. He led National League outfielders with six assists in 2020 and ranked among the league leaders in several offensive categories throughout his career, including home runs, RBIs, walks, and runs scored during various seasons with the Mets.
Individual Season Achievements
His most productive offensive seasons include 2019 when he hit 33 home runs with 92 RBIs, and 2017 when he hit 27 home runs despite missing the final two months due to injury. His 2018 season saw him lead the Mets with 28 home runs, 82 RBIs, and 78 runs scored. His power was on display throughout his career, with his longest home run of the 2018 season traveling 472 feet, ranking 11th longest in baseball that year.
Michael Conforto Family
Family Background and Athletic Lineage
Conforto comes from an exceptionally athletic family with multiple generations of distinguished competitors. His mother, Tracie Conforto (née Ruiz), built an impressive career in synchronized swimming, earning three Olympic medals. His father, Mike Conforto, played inside linebacker at Penn State University, one of the premier college football programs in the country. His sister, Jacqueline, played collegiate soccer at Azusa Pacific University. This family legacy of athletic excellence spans multiple sports and levels of competition.
Personal Life
Conforto married Cabernet Burns in December 2021 after becoming engaged in January of the same year. The couple welcomed their first child, a son named Camden, in December 2023. Conforto resides in Scottsdale, Arizona, during the baseball offseason. He maintains a relatively private personal life while continuing to focus on his professional baseball career.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marked a significant transition for Conforto as he joined the Los Angeles Dodgers on a one-year, $17 million contract. The Dodgers envisioned him as their primary left fielder, providing veteran experience and power from the left side of the plate. The move represented an opportunity for Conforto to contribute to a championship-caliber team after two solid seasons with the San Francisco Giants.
Despite the high expectations entering the season, Conforto experienced significant offensive struggles throughout the campaign. His performance dipped considerably below his career averages across all major statistical categories. The Dodgers maintained patience with him throughout the season, providing regular playing time in a platoon situation, though the fan base expressed growing frustration with his lack of production at the plate.
Despite Conforto’s individual challenges, the Dodgers enjoyed tremendous team success, capturing the World Series championship during the 2025 season. However, Conforto was not included on the team’s postseason roster, missing the opportunity to participate in the championship run. The experience represented a challenging chapter in his career, but his track record of success throughout his MLB tenure suggests the potential for a rebound in future seasons with the Chicago Cubs organization.