Lurking in Triple-A Las Vegas for most of the summer were two of the Mets top prospects. Amed Rosario was called up first, making his debut in Colorado after the trade deadline. Shortly after came first baseman Dominic Smith, who yesterday spoke with Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News about his season.
“It feels like it was quite a little bit ago,” Smith said of being in the minor leagues. “But still it helps me really feel happy and proud of my year. You can forget that when you are up here and focusing on playing every day and maybe not playing as great as you would like, you kind of forget the stuff you were able to accomplish on the way here.”
Smith hit .330/.386/.519 with 16 home runs and 76 RBIs in 114 games for the 51s on route to winning the Sterling Award for the top all-around player in the Mets farm system. Since his call-up, however, he has hit just .199/.250/.372 with seven home runs and 22 RBIs.
“I need to come back in better shape and be more consistent,” Smith said. “This is the first time I’ve played 150 games. The first time I am playing in September. This is the most I’ve played in my life. You definitely hit a wall, you get fatigued, you get tired mentally and physically. It’s my first time going through all of it. I didn’t know how to prepare for it… Definitely going into next year, I know what to expect. I know how to pace myself, I know prepare for a long season.”
If the Mets are planning to contend in 2018, a consistent Dom Smith is integral for that plan. Not only offensively, but defensively as well. His glove carried a good reputation up through the minor leagues, but since arriving in the Majors, he has a -1.1 UZR and -5 DRS at first base. If fatigue is to blame, as Smith said, he needs to come back in better shape next season.
