There are several players on the Chicago Cubs‘ Spring Training roster who are currently fighting for a spot on the Opening Day roster.

One of those players is outfielder Michael Conforto.

The Cubs signed Conforto to a Minor League deal in late February to bolster their outfielder depth. That move has resulted in the former All-Star being a part of a competitive outfield battle in Spring Training.

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When Conforto joined the North Siders, he was set to compete against four other outfielders for the fourth outfield spot on the Cubs’ Opening Day roster. His competition included Kevin Alcantara, Justin Dean, Chas McCormick, and Dylan Carlson.

With Dean being reassigned to Triple-A Iowa on Thursday, the fourth outfield spot is now down to Conforto, Alcantara, McCormick, and Carlson. One of those players will earn that coveted final roster spot.

Conforto is a strong candidate to make the Cubs’ Opening Day roster. He has Major League experience, has had significant success in the league before, and is a former All-Star.

Although he was an All-Star almost a decade ago (2017), the 33-year-old has put together some solid hitting seasons in recent years. He hit .239 with 15 home runs, 14 doubles, and 58 RBI across 125 games in 2023 and batted .237 with 20 home runs, 27 doubles, and 66 RBI across 130 games in 2024.

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That’s exactly the type of hitter the Cubs need off their bench. They don’t need a 30-homer hitter or a 100-RBI slugger. Chicago just needs someone who could be productive off the bench and contribute in key moments.

Conforto could easily be that player.

He has also shown some encouraging signs in his limited plate appearances this spring. The veteran is batting .300 (6-for-20) with two doubles, one RBI, two walks, and six strikeouts across seven games.

Some of the positives from Conforto in these games are his hard-hit rate (63.6%), average exit velocity (91.8 mph), and batting average on balls in play (.545), all of which rank extremely well. There’s no doubt that the Cubs outfielder has hit the ball hard across his 20 at-bats.

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However, Conforto still has to improve in several different areas. He has a 0% barrel rate, a 33.3% whiff rate, an 80% zone-contact rate, and a 2.6% Pull Air rate. Those numbers all need to improve if the 33-year-old wants to make the Opening Day roster.

The team will be keeping a close eye on Conforto’s performance over the next 12 days to determine if he should make the team out of Spring Training.