LA Dodgers persist in their faith in Michael Conforto, yet can he smash his unprecedented early slump?
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - If you'd told Michael Conforto at the start of the season that mastering the art of battling a slump would be his most honed skill, he probably wouldn't have been thrilled. But that's where he finds himself, mired in a deep batting slump.
"Sometimes, you just gotta hold your head high, lean on your experience, and keep plugging away," Conforto said, his resolve unwavering.
With a dismal .135 batting average, a lone single in his last 40 at-bats, and a month without hitting more than seven balls as deep as his double-play grounders, Conforto has been feeling the heat.
"Baseball can be a heartless game," he admitted. "It's cruel at times, but I've got to keep pushing. I've got to believe that things will eventually turn around."
The Dodgers' Stumble
The L.A. Dodgers suffered their first real test in what's shaping up to be the best division in baseball when they took a 5-3 beating from the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who had been stellar early in the season, surrendered five runs on six hits.
Conforto's struggles go back a month, having started the season on a six-game hitting streak, reaching .308 with six extra-base knocks over his first eight games. Upon April 6, however, Conforto embarked on a nine-game strikeout binge, striking out 13 times in a three-for-27 stretch.
Ever since, Conforto has been getting metaphorical kicks from the game. He recorded three hits over six games in mid-April, only to be immediately confronted with an 0-for-31 stretch. This stretch, which included 15 strikeouts, ranked among the 10 longest hitless streaks in Dodgers history.
A Rollercoaster Ride
Conforto finally broke through on the mend with a single in Miami last Monday. But that single spark was quicklyextinguished as Conforto entered Friday on an 0-for-9 streak.
"It's incredibly frustrating," he lamented post-game. "Happy with a few hard-hit balls today, but frustrated to not convert those opportunities."
Can He 'Click' Again?
Conforto's overall numbers this season have left many stomachs turned. His .135 batting average is the second-lowest among qualified MLB hitters, only surpassed by Josh Bell of the Washington Nationals. His .225 slugging percentage and .503 OPS are also near the bottom of the league, as is his negative 0.6 WAR.
"If I could pinpoint exactly why this is happening, it'd be a lot easier to shake it off," Conforto stated, somewhat puzzled by his prolonged struggles.
Despite the gloom, Conforto has felt more like his usual self of late. He's been driving the ball harder, recording a hard-hit ball 14 out of his last 21 at-bats. Encouragingly, he's only struck out twice in his last four games, and continues to draw walks at one of the league's best rates.
"I just gotta focus on the process and trust that the results will come," Conforto said, optimistic about his prospects for a turnaround.
The Dodgers, with a $17 million investment in Conforto this offseason and a 10-year career track record of productive (if inconsistent) offense, are staying patient. "He's a quality hitter," hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc said. "He's had a long history of being really good. I think he's gonna be just fine."
The Long Road to Recovery
As the saying goes, good things come to those who wait. Perhaps Conforto's time is just around the corner.
"I think we're right on the edge of getting things going again," Conforto said. "I just need to keep taking good at-bats, and the breaks will start falling."
If they don't, roster questions will likely arise. With the trade deadline drawing near, the Dodgers may need to explore options for left-handed hitting depth beyond Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman. That's why the coming weeks are crucial for Conforto.
If he can harness the power and confidence he's shown in recent games, Conforto hopes to put the current slump behind him and reclaim his place as a valuable member of the Dodgers' batting order.
- Michael Conforto, the struggling outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers, has been struggling with a slump, batting at a dismal .135, with a long stretch without a hit.
- The Dodgers, a team in one of baseball's best divisions, recently suffered a loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, with starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto surrendering five runs.
- Conforto's struggles started around April 6, after a six-game hitting streak and six extra-base knocks in his first eight games, he began a nine-game strikeout binge where he struck out 13 times.
- With one of the lowest batting averages among qualified MLB hitters, Conforto has been feeling the heat, but has shown signs of improvement, recording a hard-hit ball 14 out of his last 21 at-bats.
- The Dodgers, with a large investment in Conforto, are staying patient, and coaching staff believes he will turn his season around.
- The coming weeks are crucial for Conforto, as the trade deadline approaches and the Dodgers may need to explore options for left-handed hitting depth if Conforto's slump continues.
