Dodgers Team Management: What's the best course of action regarding Michael Conforto?
Hey there, Dodgers fans! Let's dive into some baseball chatter with our good pal Houston Mitchell. Welcome back to the Dodgers Dugout - your go-to spot for all things blue!
Let's talk about Michael Conforto, the current doom-and-gloom player submerged in a batting slump reminiscent of Charlie Brown and Eeyore. Ever since the 1988 season, it seems as though there's a dark cloud constantly following him, akin to Joe Btfsplk or an unlucky son of a gun!
Born on March 1, 1993, in Seattle, Conforto excelled at Oregon State and was drafted 10th overall by the New York Mets in 2014. He reached the majors swiftly, playing in 56 games with the Mets in 2015. Conforto even made history by becoming the third player to play in the Little League World Series, College World Series, and Major League World Series (the other two being Ed Vosberg and Jason Varitek).
His breakout season was 2017, when he hit .279/.384/.555 with 20 doubles and 27 homers in 444 plate appearances and made the All-Star team. But, like a balloon deflating slowly, his power numbers began to dip, even though they were still solid. His OPS varied annually (see table below)[2]:
2015: 130 2016: 95 2017: 148 2018: 122 2019: 127 2020: 154 2021: 100 2023: 116 2024: 116
Back in 2021, Conforto refused a $100 million contract extension, which turned out not to be the wisest decision. Conforto had an off-year by his standards, hitting .232/.344/.384 with 14 homers in 479 plate appearances. Agents come and go, but his current agent, Scott Boras, claimed he had injured his shoulder in January 2022 and underwent surgery, preventing him from playing the entire year[3].
Fast forward to 2023, Conforto signed a two-year, $36 million deal with the San Francisco Giants, hitting .239/.334/.384 in 2023 with 14 doubles and 15 homers in 470 plate appearances. In the 2024 season, his stats took a slight downturn with .237/.309/.450, notching 27 doubles and 20 homers in 488 plate appearances[2].
The Dodgers gave Conforto a one-year, $17 million contract, and he started off well, reaching .368 with four doubles and a homer in his first six games. However, things quickly fell apart! In the span of April 4th to May 9th, Conforto went eight for 93, batting an appalling .086 and striking out a whopping 34 times. But, fear not, for the slump appears to be easing as he's recorded three hits in his last six at-bats[4].
With the Dodgers having one of the best records in baseball, they can afford to be patient with struggling players like Conforto, unlike other teams who might've given up on him by now. Players such as James Outman, Kiké Hernández, and Chris Taylor could have taken playing time from Conforto, but their performances have been far from impressive, paving the way for Conforto to regenerate his offense[4].
As for Conforto's family, his mother, Tracie Ruiz Conforto, is a gold medalist in the solo and duet synchronized swimming event at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics[2]- a true Dodger Family legacy!
News and Notes:
- Clayton Kershaw is now hoping for his final rehab start as he prepares to come off injured reserve and face the Angels on May 14th[2].
- Tyler Glasnow has started playing catch again as he strives to recover from his shoulder inflammation[2].
- Injuries seem to be the problem for the Colorado Rockies this year, with their disappointing 7-34 record reflecting continually blowing several chances[6]. The team lost to the Padres on Saturday, 21-0, and fired their manager, Bud Black, before beating the Padres on Sunday 9-3[6].
All-time leaders
The Dodgers' all-time leaders in OPS+, minimum 1,000 plate appearances:
Leaderboard 1: Dan Brouthers, 172 Gary Sheffield, 160 Mike Piazza, 160 Freddie Freeman, 157 Jack Fournier, 157 Reggie Smith, 152 Pedro Guerrero, 149 Lefty O'Doul, 145 Babe Herman, 145 Hanley Ramirez, 144 Jim Wynn, 144
Los Angeles Only: Gary Sheffield, 160 Mike Piazza, 160 Freddie Freeman, 157 Reggie Smith, 152 Pedro Guerrero, 149 Hanley Ramirez, 144 Jim Wynn, 148 Mookie Betts, 144 Duke Snider, 136 Justin Turner, 133
Check out more leadership lists by emailing houston.mitchell@our website[7].
What's Going On with Former Dodgers?
A look at how some notable Dodgers from the recent past are performing on their new teams (as of May 8, 2025). Click on the player name to be taken to their baseball-reference page with all their stats[7]:
Offensive Players:
- Cody Bellinger, Yankees: .221/.293/.382, 150 plate appearances, 4 doubles, 1 triple, 5 homers, 20 RBIs, 91 OPS
- Michael Busch, Cubs: .262/.360/.500, 150 plate appearances, 8 doubles, 1 triple, 7 homers, 24 RBIs, 142 OPS
- Jason Heyward, Padres: .181/.225/.292, 81 plate appearances, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 12 RBIs, 45 OPS
- Gavin Lux, Reds: .282/.377/.389, 151 plate appearances, 9 doubles, 1 triple, 1 homer, 18 RBIs, 111 OPS
- Zach McKinstry, Tigers: .274/.370/.395, 147 plate appearances, 6 doubles, 3 triples, 1 homer, 16 RBIs, 121 OPS
- Joc Pederson, Rangers: .130/.237/.230, 115 plate appearances, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 1 homer, 4 RBIs, 37 OPS
- Keibert Ruiz, Nationals, .292/.343/.377, 140 plate appearances, 5 doubles, 2 homers, 14 RBIs, 106 OPS
- Corey Seager, Rangers: .300/.346/.520, 107 plate appearances, 4 doubles, 6 homers, 12 RBIs, 148 OPS
- Justin Turner, Cubs: .155/.271/.155, 70 plate appearances, 7 RBIs, 26 OPS
- Trea Turner, Phillies: .310/.371/.394, 170 plate appearances, 7 doubles, 2 homer, 14 RBIs, 118 OPS
- Miguel Vargas, White Sox: .215/.312/.319, 154 plate appearances, 8 doubles, 2 homer, 12 RBIs, 83 OPS
- Alex Verdugo, Braves: .241/.300/.325, 38 plate appearances, 7 doubles, 7 RBIs, 76 OPS
Pitchers:
- Walker Buehler, Red Sox: 4-1, 4.28 ERA, 33.2 IP, 32 hits, 9 walks, 29 K's, 96 ERA+, on the IL
- Jack Flaherty, Tigers: 1-5, 4.61 ERA, 41 IP, 37 hits, 14 walks, 35 K's, 85 ERA
- Kenley Jansen, Angels: 0-1, 5.40 ERA, 7 saves, 10 IP, 12 hits, 2 walks, 9 K's, 80 ERA
- Craig Kimbrel, Braves: in the minors on a rehab assignment
- Kenta Maeda, Tigers: 0-0, 7.88 ERA, 8 IP, 9 hits, 6 walks, 8 K's, 52 ERA+, released by Tigers
- Ryan Pepiot, Rays: 2-4, 3.86 ERA, 44.1 IP, 42 hits, 16 walks, 38 K's, 104 ERA
- Max Scherzer, Blue Jays: 0-0, 6.00 ERA, 3 IP, 3 hits, 0 walks, 1 K, 74 ERA+, on the IL
- Ryan Yarbrough, Yankees: 0-0, 3.70 ERA, 24.1 IP, 21 hits, 10 walks, 20 K's, 107 ERA
Don't forget to email houston.mitchell@our website for your favorite player's stats[7].
Upcoming Games
Tuesday: Athletics (TBD) at Dodgers (Landon Knack, 2-0, 4.61 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
Wednesday: Athletics (TBD) at Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 4-3, 1.80 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
Thursday: Athletics (TBD) at Dodgers (Roki Sasaki, 1-1, 4.72 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
*-left-handed
In Case You Missed It
- How Freddie Freeman unleashed a hot streak at the plate with a single off Paul Skenes[8]
- Dodgers continue to "bet" on Michael Conforto, but can he break unthinkable early slump?
- Shaikin: Agent Nez Balelo "wouldn't do anything different" with Shohei Ohtani's $700-million deal
- Hernandez: Shohei Ohtani pitching this season initially felt like a luxury. Now it's a necessity
- Are the Dodgers in a glass-half-full situation or glass-half-empty? | Dodgers Debate[9]
- And finally
From 1929, all-time Dodgers great Dazzy Vance talks pitching. Watch and listen here[10].
And that's it for this edition of Dodgers Dugout! If you have any questions, suggestions, or would like to see something in a future newsletter, feel free to email houston.mitchell@our website[7] and follow him on Twitter at houston on Twitter. To get this newsletter delivered straight to your inbox, click here[11].
Until next time...
- Michael Conforto, the struggling Dodgers outfielder, was born on March 1, 1993, in Seattle and excelled at Oregon State before being drafted 10th overall by the New York Mets in 2014.
- In Los Angeles, Conforto's mother, Tracie Ruiz Conforto, is a gold medalist in the solo and duet synchronized swimming event at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.
- In the 2024 season, Conforto signed a one-year, $17 million contract with the Dodgers but struggled, recording a batting average of .237 with 20 homers in 488 plate appearances.
- The Dodgers have a rich history of all-time leaders in OPS+, with Mike Piazza, Freddie Freeman, and Gary Sheffield among the top players.
