Michael Conforto’s goal, first and foremost, is to get back on the field.
Last year, he braved the Arizona summer while rehabbing from shoulder surgery to his throwing arm. He bought the MLB.tv package to stay updated on the sport and follow along with his many friends in the league. It was tough, both physically and emotionally.
“When you have a year of your career taken away from you, it re-lights that fire and you realize how much you love this game,” Conforto said Tuesday in his introductory Zoom call.
Conforto, 29, is still in Arizona, but now enjoying the luxuries of the Giants’ new Papago Park training facility. He signed a two-year, $36 million contract that includes an opt-out after the first season if he accrues 350 plate appearances.
Conforto’s rehab hasn’t hit any snags — “knock on wood,” he said — and has him on track to play in spring training and be ready for Opening Day.
Beyond his health, Conforto represents a potential market inefficiency. As the only new left-handed hitter the Giants added in free agency — besides bringing Joc Pederson back — he’ll be among the players who stand to benefit from MLB’s shift ban.
Starting this year, all four infielders are required to have their cleats in the dirt, with two on each side of second base. The rule is intended to increase batting average on balls in play, and will likely impact left-handed pull hitters like Conforto the most drastically.
Conforto’s BABIP in 2021 was only .276, well below the league average of .292. Part of that is due to regressing from his former All-Star power, but surely facing shifts also played a factor.
Conforto hit .232 in his most recent season, his lowest average since 2016. He made hard contact less frequently, but still displayed power when he connected, ranking in the 80th percentile in max exit velocity.
The left-handed hitter also faced a defensive shift 65.1% of the time. For context, that’s as common as the Tigers — the fifth-shiftiest team last year — enacted the strategy. Conforto frequently faced infields with an infielder camping behind the second base bag and another stationed in shallow right field.
At least six hits were stolen by the shift, which would have upped his average to .246 had they dropped in. Those six should-be hits left his bat with at least a 100 mph exit velocity and a launch angle over five degrees.
Conforto has shown power to all parts of the field over his career, but in 2021 pulled 42.1% of his batted balls. Having fewer defenders on the right side of the infield will make it easier for him to find more hits to the pull side and up the middle.
With 45 days until spring training, Conforto and the Giants are still in the infant stages of preparing. They still haven’t discussed at length which corner of the outfield he’ll patrol or where he’ll most frequently hit in the lineup.
In his prime three years, Conforto hit 27 homers in his 2017 All-Star campaign, 28 the next year and 33 in 2019. No Giant has cracked 30 since Barry Bonds.
“I’m going to do everything I can to get ready and to be that All-Star player that I’ve been,” Conforto said. “I think I haven’t scratched my potential yet, and I couldn’t be happier to be with this organization, to restart my career and to re-establish myself as that guy.”
And again, Conforto’s main focus is getting fully healthy. His throwing program has him playing 200-foot long toss but still needs to progress to aiming at specific bases.
But if his shoulder cooperates, Conforto — a lifetime Barry Bonds fan — has a chance to be a splashy signing. He already has one Splash Hit and very well could add several more. As for the hits that stay in the yard, it’s likely more of them will find grass than in his previous years.
