Closing Time: Can Michael Conforto beat the New York gridlock?

Michael Conforto doesn’t have a regular job, or a long track record. He’s not even owned in 20 percent of Yahoo leagues. He’s had a modest 12 at-bats on the season.

And yet, I think about Conforto daily — his potential, his plausible upside. He’s one of fantasy’s most exciting, and most frustrating, what-if players. There’s a Conforto conundrum we need to discuss.

[Sign up for Yahoo Fantasy Baseball: It’s not too late to get in the game]

You probably know some of the Conforto story by now. He made a .270/.335/.506 splash in his rookie year, homering nine times in essentially one-third of a season. Heady stuff for a 22-year-old, a former first-round pick, a pedigree guy. Hop aboard the escalator, we’re moving up.

Everything crashed on Conforto last season, sophomore year. Some bad mechanical habits were part of it, sure, but Terry Collins and the Mets jerked him around like a yo-yo. Conforto’s .220/.310/.414 slash was a major step backwards, and he even returned to the minors for a month (where he crushed, a 1.209 OPS in Las Vegas). Entering 2017, Conforto was projected as a New York reserve.

He’s made the most of his 15 plate-appearances thus far — two homers, two walks, one HBP, a silly .417/.533/1.000 slash. He had a clutch RBI double in Thursday’s marathon win over Miami (Mets Twitter treated this like a playoff game). We’d be singing the redemption song and demanding a pickup, if only he had a dedicated spot to play.

New York has three veteran outfielders blocking Conforto’s way. Obviously Yoenis Cespedes has to play, and he’s been on a tear all week. Jay Bruce is off to a fast start after his own messy 2016. And Curtis Granderson isn’t going to be rashly tossed aside, no matter that he’s on the back nine of his career.

Maybe Conforto will need an outfield injury to press into the regular mix. Or perhaps an injury or slump from 1B Lucas Duda is a path for Conforto — Bruce has a little first-base experience, a wheel play could ensue. Obviously the Mets don’t have a DH slot to play with, save for the occasional AL visit. And there’s not a natural platoon partner; Cespedes is too good to sit, while Bruce and Granderson, like Conforto, swing from the left side.

A lot of talk about a fourth outfielder, isn’t it? Nonetheless, I want Conforto on your radar, and in some leagues, on your bench. Obviously every league is different — in shallow leagues, bench players need to have current value; deeper leagues allow for more lottery tickets.

All I know is this — if Conforto came into a starting job anytime soon, he’d become an instant “do not pass go, pick him up immediately” type of player. So it’s better to have the discussion now.

I know some of you will shake your heads and say it’s a mistake to assume rational coaching from Collins. He’s had trouble with younger players the past, be it from his own resolve or the people above him. But sometimes these logjams have a way of sorting themselves out.

• If you want another way into the surging Mets lineup, catcher Travis d’Arnaud would like your attention. He’s collected seven hits, two homers, and seven RBIs over the last three games, and he’s just 14 percent owned. With Buster Posey and Gary Sanchez on the disabled list, some could use a boost at catcher.

I’m also curious when hotshot shortstop prospect Amed Rosario will come to New York. Rosario is just 21, but the Mets might justify a fast track for Rosario, given how poorly Jose Reyes has started (Rosario or Asdrubal Cabrera could slide to third). I suspect Rosario will be a buzzy topic in June, when wedding season and callup season really get cooking. Infield crashers, coming to a waiver wire near you.

Rosario slashed .324/.374/.459 at two spots last year (five homers, 19 steals), and he’s hitting .344 with a couple of steals at Triple-A this spring. He could use a little more plate discipline, but he’s shown an excellent contact rate in the minors. Rosario was a Top 10 prospect on all the major clipboards before the year, and some (including ESPN’s Keith Law) consider him the No. 1 prospect currently in the minors.

• Like Conforto, Yankees pitcher Luis Severino fell apart as a sophomore last year. After a promising 2015 debut (2.89 ERA, 1.20 WHIP over 11 starts), Severino lost confidence and command of his fastball and couldn’t commit to his change-up. His slider was still a plus pitch, barely, but overall his results were a mess (5.83 ERA, 1.45 WHIP). A periodic problem with home runs didn’t help.

Severino has a 4.50 ERA after two starts this year, but appreciate the rest of the profile — two walks, 17 strikeouts, 1.08 WHIP. He piled up 11 whiffs in Thursday’s win over Tampa Bay, and his first start had some unfortunate batted-ball luck. A start against the White Sox next week could be fun. Severino is owned in a mere 22 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Speed Round: Everyone in Minnesota’s starting lineup had a hand in the 11-5 win at Detroit, even Byron Buxton (5-1-1-0, one steal). Alas, Buxton also struck out two more times, giving him 19 whiffs on the year. If there’s a prospect hound in your league, I’d shift into “get what you can” mode and try to “move an outfielder.” I think Buxton will be in the minors at some point this year . . . The silver lining to Andrew Benintendi’s slow start — he has just four strikeouts over 41 plate appearances. His .341 OBP plays fine in the No. 2 slot, too. This is someone to be patient with . . . Danny Espinosa is up to three homers, all of them coming in the ninth inning of games. It’s those other eight innings that are keeping him down (.229/.263/.486).

Cleveland can’t be proud of a 10-4 loss to the White Sox, but at least Michael Brantley and Yan Gomes hit their first homers . . . Zach Britton continues to lead a charmed life — a spotless ERA despite a 1.67 WHIP. He spotted two runners at Toronto and uncorked a wild pitch, but escaped nonetheless . . . I’ve been bitten by Jimmy Nelson before, but he has pretty numbers through two starts (13 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 13 K). The Cubs get a rematch next week, which makes me nervous . . . The top three guys aren’t getting on base a lot in Cincinnati, but Billy Hamilton and Jose Peraza have 10 bags between them, nonetheless . . . Looking into the KC lineup is like staring at the sun, but three runs were enough for Jason Vargas. Youngster Raul Mondesi Jr. isn’t on base much (.179 OBP), but somehow has four steals . . . Josh Donaldson (calf) will probably need a trip to the 10-day disabled list . . . Francisco Liriano’s second start was a vast improvement, perhaps because he was throwing to Russell Martin. Do the right thing, Toronto.