When the experts analyzed this Met team coming into the 2020 season most said that in order to win the team’s power bats had to create the impetus for a winning season and after a 3-7 start in this truncated 60 game season the power bats were silent for the most part,
But in the last few games, you could just sense those slumbering sticks were getting their wake up call. I sensed it because players like Pete Alonso, JD Davis, and Michael Conforto were all making solid contact. It was not the long ball bashing type of contact as they were using the whole field which helped them on a number of fronts.
First of all, it was getting them on base but more importantly it began forcing opposing hurlers to try to bust them inside because they were using the outside of the plate to put base hits on their ledger. And once that occurred they began getting pitches which they could drive out of the park and we saw that last night at Citi as the Mets beat the Marlins with all three members of the trio crushing home runs.
The most interesting case to me is Conforto who has such a dynamic swing in the batter’s box and remains one of the most underrated hitters in the sport. It is amazing to me how a player who hit 30 homers last year in The Big Apple could be so overlooked by the media but quite frankly, pound for pound there is not a better pure hitter in this town.
We sometimes forget this is a man who arrived on the scene in 2015 and aside from Yoenis Cespedes, was the team’s best pure hitter in their stretch run in his rookie season, He also crushed 2 World Series home runs which was overlooked because of the magical post-season Daniel Murphy had but pure and simple without Conforto there is no Met 2015 pennant flag hanging in the rafters at Citi.
If I am an opponent, I certainly respect the power bat of Pete Alonso but with the game on the line the last batter I want to face is Conforto . His combination of an almost perfect batting stance and his command of the strike zone make him a very difficult obstacle to overcome which we are seeing this season.
He is a tireless worker that is also a great teammate and leader reminding me so much of David Wright. Much like the great Met third basemen, Conforto understands the passion and history of this organization while at the same time knowing talent coupled with hard work is an unbeatable combination.
And after that 3-7 start,you get the sense this Met team is ready to get on a roll as Conforto is knocking the cover off the ball. And he does it with the same sort of humility I saw in David Wright because he cares more about the name on the front of his uniform than the one on the back of his uniform. And one day he will be a serious MVP candidate in this league. That time may be coming very soon especially if he continues his torrid pace at the plate.
Please listen to the MP3 audio files of post game Zoom below.