"Dalton Rushing experimented briefly as an outfielder, and when coupled with the depth in the farm system, Conforto was never expected to be a long-term solution. Essentially, he fit the mold as a guy the Dodgers would appreciate. Conforto is an experienced player with a penchant for walking and not chasing. He was billed as a reclamation project where he'd reset his own value presumably with a big year surrounded by better talent than at any other point in his career."
"Unfortunately for Conforto and the Dodgers, none of that has come to fruition. With an 0-for-4 performance hitting cleanup on Thursday, the outfielder is currently sporting a .186 batting average in nearly 400 plate appearances. This includes a .293 OBP, a .319 SLG, and a .611 OPS. All of these categories currently are the worst of his career for any single season."
"Theoretically, it would be one thing if Conforto were an excellent fielder and/or speed threat. With one or two above-average skills, it could make the lack of production at the plate a bit more palatable. However, Baseball Savant indicates that Conforto ranks in the 21st percentile in sprint speed and the eighth percentile in outfield range. In other words, Conforto is a below-average runner with some of the worst range in baseball."
Michael Conforto was acquired as a one-year stopgap and reclamation project expected to benefit from better surrounding talent. Conforto has produced a .186 batting average in nearly 400 plate appearances with a .293 OBP, .319 SLG and .611 OPS, the worst single-season marks of his career. Defensive and running metrics are weak: 21st percentile in sprint speed and eighth percentile in outfield range, making him a below-average runner with limited range. Dalton Rushing briefly experimented in the outfield and the farm depth reduced expectations for a long-term role. Comparisons to Jason Heyward note Heyward had better OPS in far fewer plate appearances yet was released midseason.
Read at Dodgers Nation
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