METS SIGN FIRST-ROUND PICK MICHAEL CONFORTO
FLUSHING, N.Y., July 11, 2014 – The New York Mets today announced the signing of outfielder Michael Conforto, the club’s first-round pick in the 2014 First-Year Player Draft. The 10th-overall player taken, Conforto will begin his professional career with Brooklyn (A) of the New York-Penn League.
Conforto, 21, hit .345 (70-203) with seven home runs and 56 RBI in 59 games, all starts, this season as a junior for Oregon State University. The 6-2, 217-pound native of Woodinville, WA, who bats lefthanded and throws righthanded, was named one of the five finalists for the Dick Howser Trophy, which is given annually to the top collegiate player in the nation. He also won the PAC-12 Conference Player of the Year award for the second consecutive season and was the first three-time All-American in school history.
Conforto, who set a single-season school record with 55 walks this year, finished his career hitting .340 (227-668) with 31 home runs and 179 RBI in 182 games.
He played for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team in each of the last two summers.
Conforto was named All-State and All-League his senior year at Redmond High School (WA). He is the fourth consecutive position player drafted in the first round by the Mets, joining outfielder Brandon Nimmo (2011), infielder Gavin Cecchini (2012) and first baseman Dominic Smith (2013).
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