Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com released his list of the top ten first base prospects in baseball today, and Dominic Smith came in at #4 on the list, with Josh Bell of the Pirates topping off the rankings at #1.
“Smith was thought to be the best pure high school hitter in the Draft class of 2013, and he was the third prep bat taken that June when the Mets selected him with the 11th pick overall. While he swung the bat well for part of the 2014 season, he tired by the end of his first full year of pro ball as one of the youngest regulars in the South Atlantic League.”
“Smith is still plenty young enough to rebound and produce as expected. The left-handed hitter has the chance to hit for both average and power. He has excellent hand-eye coordination and an advanced approach at the plate. He still drew a fair amount of walks and didn’t strike out much in 2014. Smith didn’t exhibit much in the way of extra-base pop, though some of that can be attributed to hitting in a very pitching-friendly ballpark. He’s limited to first base but has excellent hands and range and should be an above-average defender at the position.”
The 19 year old spent the entirety of last season with the Single-A Savannah Sand Gnats and hit at a .271/.344/.338 clip. But the alarming statistic that stands out is that Smith only knocked one ball out of the park in 461 at-bats.
I fully expect Smith to work out his kinks and have an even better 2015 season, after experiencing what pro-ball is like last year in a tough hitter environment.
So far Mayo has ranked the top left-handed and right-handed pitching prospects, catching prospects, and first base prospects today, and the Mets have had a representative in each group.
RHP Noah Syndergaard No. 2, LHP Steven Matz No. 8, C Kevin Plawecki No. 6, 1B Dominic Smith No. 4.
That’s pretty incredible if you ask me.
