Mets outfielder Michael Conforto: Is he in a slump or not?

SAN DIEGO— To analyze Michael Conforto's 2018 season is sort of like being asked whether one views a half-filled glass as half-full or half-empty.

On the one hand, yes, Conforto, a 2017 All-Star, is slumping with a .222 average and one homer. He's expected to be a high-average, high-power slugger.

The alternative view is Conforto's .390 on-base percentage, which would be a career-best, is an indicator of a star player just a tad off at the plate and ready to go on a tear.

Both views have their merits, though Conforto and Mets hitting coach Pat Roessler lean toward the second assessment.

“I’m up there confident I’m going to make a good decision at the plate," Conforto said. "You’re not always going to be on time but I’m making good decisions and the hits will come. I’m feeling confident and good at the plate but just got to find some grass."

As the Mets finished April with a 17-9 record and atop the NL East, the team is waiting for Conforto to find his rhythm at the plate. He owns a .317 slugging percentage and a .708 OPS, but has reached base in all 20 games he's appeared in this season.

The outfielder has not homered in his last 60 at-bats.

“Some balls that I’m fouling off that I would usually hit hard somewhere. I don’t look at it as a slump. I've only had 60-something (63) at-bats," Conforto said Sunday morning. "It’s still very, very early and very soon here it’s going to start to turn around. At this point I’m not too worried about it with the way I’m getting on base. That’s a huge part of it.”

Not all slumps are created equal, and Conforto's skid is proof of that.

There are slumps during which a player struggles to hit and get on base, and those like Conforto's when the player finds other ways to contribute.

Dating to April 13, Conforto is hitting .178 with a .200 slugging percentage, but owns a .356 on-base percentage. He has one extra-base hit in his last 60 plate appearances.

The outfielder's 20-game on-base streak is the longest of his career, and the strong on-base percentage is usually a good sign for a hitter. A player that earns walks is seeing the ball well, and when one sees the ball well, good results usually follow.

Conforto is positioning himself for success, just hasn't reaped the rewards.

"They’re obviously not giving him great pitches to hit, that’s why he’s walking a lot still. The one thing I’m seeing is when he does get that one pitch an at-bat he’s not getting the barrel to it often enough," Mets manager Mickey Callaway said. "He feels like he’s in a good spot but it kind of makes it tough when they’re pitching around you a lot. He’ll get going and start not missing that one pitch an at-bat he’s getting a night.”

Conforto said he's searching for more consistency, and he pointed to his unusual offseason routine for why his swing is not in perfect harmony yet.

Following left shoulder surgery last year, the 25-year-old did not start swinging until February. He aced his rehab to where he returned about a month before the Mets expected him to, but it was still an accelerated timeline.

Conforto noticed early in the season he resorted to some "old habits" due to the lack of reps, and that affected his swing.

He kept his hands away from him which caused him to be late on pitches, and dipped his front shoulder. Conforto said those issues led to him fouling off some pitches he should've driven, but he believes he's ironed out those issues while working with Roessler.

Once Conforto starts producing up to his standards, it will help transform a Mets lineup that has yet to reach its potential. Conforto has contributed in other ways, but he and Mets fans alike are waiting for when he starts peppering the left-center gap consistently.

"When you don’t swing for eight months you kind of have a shorter timeline to work on stuff. There’s going to be a curve a little bit," he said. "That was something that was going to happen regardless. I get so many reps here, and (Roessler) is so good at seeing little things here and there, he really can pick things out for me.

“We’re in a good spot.”

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