While Mets first basemen Pete Alonso has certainly stolen the show so far in this early season, his backup Dominic Smith has impressed, as well.
Smith was in a neck-and-neck competition for the first base job with Alonso all spring. Although he did not win the starting job, he without a doubt earned his spot on the 25-man roster.
In his first five games, Smith has gone 4-for-9 (2-for-4 as a pinch hitter) with two walks, three RBI, and three runs scored. The lefty is also slashing .444/.500/.444 in the early part of this season.
Smith made his first start Tuesday night against the Marlins at first base. He batted sixth in the order and went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored helping the Mets pickup their fourth victory of this young season.
Another positive sign so far this season is the noticeably close friendship between Smith and his positional competitor Alonso. One example of this chemistry was their emphatic celebration with each other following Alonso’s first career home run on Monday night.
Smith was once a top prospect for the Mets as they selected him eleventh overall in the 2013 draft. He had not yet reached his full potential in limited playing time over the past two seasons. Since making his debut in 2017 he was only slashing a mere .211/.258/.407 in 105 games coming into this year. Despite his early struggles, it is starting to look like he is on the verge of turning the corner in his career.
Although Alonso has come in and taken over the starting role, both he and Smith have tremendous talent. They have also been each other’s biggest cheerleaders when the other performs well on the field. From what we’ve seen so far, there is certainly reason to believe that both first basemen can continue to contribute to this team’s success in the 2019 campaign if their playing time is managed properly.
