On November 5th the Mets officially added left-handed pitcher Josh Smoker to their 40-man roster. Smoker was a supplemental first round pick (31st overall, six slots ahead of Travis d’Arnaud) of the Washington Nationals in 2007 out of Calhoun High School in Georgia.
Josh struggled in the 2012 season, he allowed eight runs in just 9.2 innings topping out at High-A Potomac. He then sat out the entire 2013 season after having the second shoulder surgery in his career (first one in 2008) and elected free agency in November of 2013.
With no other available options Josh signed with the Rockford Aviators of the Frontier League to pitch in 2014. He was able to make it through the season healthy but struggled with his command walking 23 in 29 innings.
Smoker started his Mets career with the Savannah Sand Gnats after signing a minor league deal during the last week of Spring Training. He also pitched for the St. Lucie Mets while finishing the season in AA with the Binghamton Mets. Overall this year he was 3-0 with six saves with a 3.12 ERA and 1.184 WHIP while striking out 60 batters in 49 innings.
I watched Josh pitch multiple times this season for the B’Mets and his stuff will definitely play at the Major League level. He gets his fastball up to the 96-97 MPH range and even hit 100 a few times. He has a very good split-change that makes him effective against righties and isn’t afraid to throw it down in the count.
This season lefties actually hitter better against him with a .641 OPS compared to a .547 OPS for righties. He has been working on a slider to try and counter the success lefties have had against him.
MMO: Congrats on being added to the 40-man roster! How did you find out the news from the Mets
Josh: They informed me the afternoon of the fifth (official day he was added) by telephone. It was a very surreal moment. I’ll never forget it.
MMO: You and the family going to celebrate the big news? You really have turned into a story that a lot of Mets fans are clinging too and rooting for to succeed.
Josh: Believe it or not my parents are actually in Disney world right now and we’re there when we received the news. Haha my wife and I are planning on going to dinner tonight. I’ve had more support from the Mets fans this season and offseason then I’ve had my whole career. It’s very humbling and genuinely means the world to me. I also can’t thank the Mets enough for taking the chance on me last spring when nobody else even considered it. I will be forever great full to them. Class act organization.
MMO: Towards the end of the year when B’Mets season was over you must have heard some of the chatter about you possibly being called up?
Josh: I had heard that it was a possibility but I had no control over that. My job was to go out every time I got the ball and put the team in a situation to win. A call up would have been awesome but at the same time I’m happy to just be given the opportunity to continue to play the game i love.
MMO: During your last week or so of the season you started to get hit a little, was that the league seeing you for a second time or a little bit of fatigue from you?
Josh: I could definitely feel my body starting to get tired. It was the first full season I had pitched in 3 years so I could feel my body starting to fatigue.
MMO: Did you follow much of the Mets playoff run? Have you talked to any of those guys to congratulate them or anything like that?
Josh: Every game. I was pulling hard for them. I haven’t. I’m really good friends with Zack Wheeler so we were keeping up with them consistently but haven’t gotten the chance to speak with any of the other guys.
MMO: Are you and Wheeler from the same area?
Josh: We are, we’ve worked out together for the last few years.
MMO: What do you think of the Mets starting pitching?
Josh: It IS the the best in baseball. To have the velocity and secondary pitches those guys have and the command to go with it is unheard of. If I was a hitter on any other team I would not look forward to heading into Citi Field knowing I was going to be facing that.
MMO: How does it feel to finally be 100% healthy?
Josh: Feels good, great to get out on the mound without my arm hitting. To be able to go out and throw the way I know that I can feels good.
MMO: How did you come about being signed by the Mets?
Josh: I have a contact (Paul Fletcher) in Atlanta and I needed to throw a bullpen one day so he came out. He is actually the pitching coach for the New York Revolution and made a phone call after catching me. He had done some work with the Mets before and called their scout Steve Barningham. Steve then called me and wanted me to throw a bullpen for him. The Mets like what they saw and the rest is history.
MMO: After that did you head down to extended Spring Training?
Josh: Yes, I signed the last week of Spring Training then I was in extended for about two weeks before they sent me to Savannah (Sand Gnats, Low-A).
MMO: What was is like being a former first round pick having to go and pitch in the Independent League?
Josh: Some times you got to do what you have to do. Honestly at that point I was out of options because I wasn’t getting any looks from affiliated teams. I was still coming off shoulder surgery so I wasn’t 100% yet and my velocity wasn’t back either. I am glad I did it, it was good to get my feet wet again.
MMO: Have you made any mechanical changes since being in the Mets organization?
Josh: Only thing I have done is change my hand slot, before I was set up high so I brought my glove down and got a little arm pump going. Helped me get on top of the ball better which improved my command.
MMO: You hit 97 MPH regularly this year, is that something to pay attention to that much?
Josh: As first I was to have an idea where I was at health wise coming off surgery but now that I have a good idea about where my arm strength is I try not to pay too much attention to it.
MMO: Did you talk to your Binghamton Mets teammate Dario Alvarez at all about the similar paths you guys have taken?
Josh: We actually went through the exact same steps, always good to have someone like that to talk to especially in a new organization. Not just him though, all the coaches and players make it a pleasure to the field every day. Baseball has become fun again, it’s almost like it is a game again.
MMO: What do you think you need to improve on to get to the Major League level?
Josh: Me being a lefty I think it would be good for me to have a slider, I have thrown a breaking ball in the past but it was almost too loopy. It has gotten a lot better, still not quite where I want it to be, but definitely improved. I’m going to work extremely hard on that pitch this offseason so that going into spring I’ll have something I can offer to lefties.
MMO: Thank you for answering all my questions. Congrats again, good luck next year and hopefully see you in Spring Training.
Josh: My pleasure Michael. Thanks a lot and take care.
For more interviews with Mets minor leaguers head over to MetsMinors.net
