Dominic Smith, OF/1B
Player Data: Age 24, B/T : L/L
Primary Stats: 89 G, 197 PA, 11 HR, 25 RBI, 19 BB, 44 SO, .282 BA, .355 OBP, .525 SLG
Advanced Stats: .320 BABIP, 0.8 fWAR, 134 OPS+, 133 wRC+, 1 DRS/0.9 UZR (1B), -3 DRS/-3.6 UZR (OF)
Free Agent: 2025
2019 Salary: $559,320
Grade: B-
2019 Review
Dominic Smith has been through quite a bit already in his brief baseball career. The 24-year-old first baseman was the 11th overall pick in the 2013 draft. He made it to the Majors in 2016 and has been beset by a laundry list of problems including weight issues, sleep apnea, low power numbers in the minors, tardiness in spring camp, a pulled quad in spring training last year among others. Spring training 2019 was different for the California native.
Dominic showed up in shape and well-rested, his sleep apnea being controlled by a CPAP machine (continuous positive airway pressure). His manager noticed: “He comes to the park rested and feeling good. He has more energy. His eyes are actually open because he’s not tired.” His production was among the best of anyone in camp as he was in the top five in hits for much of the Spring.
Unfortunately for Smith, he was battling for the first base job with a prodigy named Pete Alonso, who was hitting everything that was thrown at him. Alonso had four home runs just a few weeks into camp. Alonso won the first base job, relegating Smith to pinch hitting duty, occasional stints in left field and to spell Alonso at first.
Though his playing time was limited, he put up some decent statistics for the first four months of the season. He was swatting .278/.352/.506 with 10 homers and 10 doubles in 88 games in 2019, when another in the lengthening list of unfortunate events took place on July 26. He suffered a stress fracture in his left foot. Initially, he tried to play through the injury, but things felt worse. Smith told reporters, “You feel something and you don’t think much of it. We’re all competitors here. We all play through little things. …It just was getting worse.”
Smith would be in an orthotic boot for weeks and even used a scooter to get around Citi Field more easily. He was originally placed on the 10-day IL but was later transferred to the 60-day injured list meaning he could only come back for the last five games of the season.
Through his convalescence, he became known as the unofficial cheer leader of the Mets especially during their winning ways in the second half. The omni-present scooter had on its license plate the rallying cry, “LFGM2019”. Smith was always on the top step of the dugout rallying the troops and was the first to lend a hug to an Alonso or Conforto or whoever hit a home run. His positive attitude seemed infectious as the team seem to mesh nicely even through some difficult times.
2019 Key Moment
As if scripted by Hollywood, Dominic Smith had the last laugh (and last at-bat) of the 2019 season. Smith didn’t even know he would get into game 162 against the Atlanta Braves, but as the game wound into extra innings, Callaway removed Alonso so he could get one more ovation and replaced him with Smith. It was his first game back since his injury. The Braves had taken a 6-4 lead in the top of the 11th on a home run by former Met Adeiny Hechavarria.
In the bottom of the frame, the Mets put two men on base, and with two out, Smith came to the dish to face Grant Dayton. He promptly smacked a three-run home run to deep right center catapulting the Mets to a walk-off victory. It was the first walk-off in Smith’s career and his first competitive at-bat in two months. Smith had trouble finding words in the post-game presser. “I couldn’t have dreamed of anything like this,” Smith said. “If I had gone up there and gotten out, I still would have been just as happy, just as satisfied to make it back into a game. … I don’t even know what to say, how to think. I can’t even wrap my head around everything right now.”
2020 Outlook
What does 2020 have in store for Dominic Smith? He could be caught in a numbers game. The Mets have their first baseman for the foreseeable future and depending on the off-season and the potential return of Yoenis Cespedes, there could be a logjam in the outfield. Could Smith be used as trade bait to help bolster a struggling bullpen? That will be a decision for the front office to make but through it all, Smith remains positive. He told reporters, “I know I’m going to come in like I did this year in great shape and I’m going to do my best to force another tough decision. That’s all I can do. I just feel very confident in what I can do and I showed that this year. There’s no reason why I can’t do that again next year.”
Projection: .265 BA, .370 OBP, .510 SLG, 18 HR, 50 RBI. Of course these numbers can change drastically depending on where Mr. Smith is playing in 2020.
by Marshall Field
