Dominic Smith went from the hot prospect when he first came up in 2017 to having to switch positions.
Fast forward to 2020 and Dom has been thriving at the plate for the New York Mets.
He went 3-for-5 to raise his batting average to a stout .333.
Smith has been nothing short of spectacular.
He’s racked up seven multi-hit games in the month of August while hitting at a .338 clip for the month.
What has been the key?
A couple of factors stand out.
First is the intangible: Smith’s tireless work ethic has led him to this point where he has been able to find a new home in left field while continuing to contribute at the plate.
As far as numbers go, Smith’s barrel percentage is way up this year.
We’re talking eight percentage points from 7.5 in 2019 to 15.5 through Friday’s doubleheader sweep.
He’s in the top eight percent of hitters in barreling up baseballs this year.
Another factor is the breaking ball.
Smith is actually seeing more fastballs because of the damage he’s done against breaking balls.
So far this season, Smith has a .909 slugging percentage against breaking balls.
His bat control and timing have gone to another level during this season and it’s showing beyond the standard numbers.
Smith is also more routinely getting on top of the ball, resulting in more line drives.
In his first season, Smith had a ground ball rate of 50.4 percent vs. a line drive rate of 23.5.
In 2020, Dom has a ground ball rate of 41.4 vs. a line drive rate of 31.0.
It’s been a joy to watch Smith continue to thrive.
His positive attitude and attention to detail have paved the way for a breakout season to this point.
