Atlanta Braves Right Field Position Preview: Ronald Acuna vs. NL East
By Seth Carter
New York Mets
The New York Mets are projected to finish with the fourth most productive right field in the league according to WAR projections on Fangraphs.
The main reason behind such a high projection is Michael Conforto. The former collegiate standout is a true slugger and boasts a career on-base percentage of .353, a full 100 points better than his career batting average.
While Conforto may never contend for a batting title with 308 strikeouts in the past two seasons, he has a career slugging percentage of .481. His on-base ability and extra-base power have provided Conforto with a 125 OPS+ for his career.
He has walked 84 times in each of the past two seasons and has hit 27, 28, and 33 homers in each of the past three seasons.
In 2019, he drove in 92 runs, scored 90 times, compiled 141 hits, 29 doubles, and stole seven bases. All of which were career highs for the 26-year-old.
Conforto is entering his age-27 season and is a trusted source of power and a well-above-average on-base percentage for the Mets. He has settled into the right-field position for the Mets where he owns a .990 career fielding percentage and averages three defensive runs saved per year.
Conforto is a one-time All-Star, earning his first mid-summer classic nod in 2017 at the age of 24. That season he set career highs in average (.279), OBP (.384), and SLG (.555).
Injuries limited Conforto to just 109 games that season. He has played in 153 and 151, respectively, the past two years. As good as he has been, the Mets hope to see him push the ceiling even higher in 2020. He’s a very solid player in right field.