Was Michael Conforto Really A Good Pick For The New York Mets?

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With the 10th overall pick in the draft, the New York Mets selected outfielder Michael Conforto out of Oregon State. Conforto is a polished hitter, who can quickly advance to the majors. He has an excellent approach at the plate, and he could potentially fill the Mets desperate need for a dangerous power bat. However, despite these positive attributes, there are several concerns with this selection.

As an advanced college hitter, Conforto is a safe pick. While he has a strong chance to reach the major leagues, his upside is limited. The reason for this is his questionable skills on defense. He does not have a lot of range in the outfield, and his arm is regarded as below average. This factor makes him a one dimensional player, and it places tremendous pressure on his bat. It will be extremely difficult for him to become an all star caliber player if he does not develop into an elite hitter.

By selecting Conforto, the Mets also missed out on several other players with considerably higher upsides. Two immensely skilled players the Mets passed on are Hartford pitcher Sean Newcomb and high school starter Touki Toussiant. Newcomb is a 6’5″ lefty who can reach 97 MPH, and Toussiant has an explosive mid 90’s fastball with a devastating hook. According to most scouts, both pitchers have the potential to become top of the rotation starters.

Even though some Mets fans would prefer Conforto because he is an outfield prospect, drafting for need is never a smart strategy. Adding impact talent to the system should always be the primary goal of the draft, and that’s exactly what Newcomb or Tossiant would have provided. Needs could always be filled later on with trades and free agents, so the Mets should have drafted the best player available regardless of position.

There is no denying that Conforto is a talented player, but that does not necessarily mean he is good selection with the 10th overall pick. Every player available at this spot also has a lot of talent, and some even had greater upsides. Since the Mets passed on players with more potential, they could eventually regret this decision. The Mets opted to take the safe route and potentially filled a need, but they could have landed a better prospect who had a lot more upside.