The New York Mets have finally placed ailing left fielder Michael Cuddyer on the 15 day disabled list with a sore left knee and have called up 22 year old Michael Conforto from Double A Binghamton to most likely make his debut on Friday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citi Field.
Conforto will join a lineup that has struggled drastically this season without the likes of captain David Wright and Travis d’Arnaud for a significant period of time. First baseman Lucas Duda has had a nightmarish summer, and Cuddyer has had trouble getting anything started.
So where does that leave the Mets? You can say they’re in dire need of a bat to save their season, and is it fair to the 22 year old to put that kind of pressure on him? Not at all. They need more. But Conforto brings hope for the future in the outfield for this team. He was drafted just last year and has hit at every level he’s been at. In Brooklyn last year he hit .331 with 3 home runs and 19 RBI in 42 games and he opened a lot of eyes during Spring Training before this season started. He hit .283 with 7 home runs and 28 RBI in 46 games in Single A, was called up to Double A Binghamton, and hit .312 there. This kid also has a cannon for an arm so they are hopeful about that as well.
This is a massive jump, technically going from being in Single A at the beginning of this season to now being with the Major League club that same July, but he has earned his chance. That. and the fact that this Mets team is that desperate for hitting that they’re hoping to catch lightning in a bottle with the young Conforto.
Now they need to show their fan base that they are really serious about winning and make a deal for a guy like Carlos Gomez to play the outfield alongside Conforto and Curtis Granderson, but I’m just spit-balling here.
I’m sure Sandy Alderson knows what he’s doing……
