Kevin asks…
Will we see Dominic Smith at some point this season and what other prospects will make their major league debuts in 2016?
Joe D. replies…
To answer the first part of your question, no. Unless Lucas Duda is traded or goes on the disabled list for an extended period of time for a month or longer, there’s really no chance we’ll see Smith this season. And I don’t believe the Mets will turn to Smith even under those circumstances with Duda.
Look, Smith is only 20, hasn’t even had one at-bat above Single-A, and has yet to see his power fully develop, hitting just 10 home runs in 1,221 plate appearances. What’s the rush and what motivation is there for the Mets to start his MLB service clock? It would be different if he was putting up monstrous numbers and pushing the envelope the way Michael Conforto did, but he’s not. He had a an excellent season in the Florida State League and he’ll look to make the most critical jump in minor league baseball – going from A to AA this year. Let’s see how he handles it. In the meantime first base is in great hands with Lucas Duda who is a top five first sacker in the NL and under team control through 2017.
As for which prospects we will see making their debuts this season, left-hander Josh Smoker and infielder Matt Reynolds are no-doubters. But there’s a good chance we’ll also see Gavin Cecchini, Brandon Nimmo and Seth Lugo at some point this season. A dark horse candidate is right-hander Robert Gsellman, but probably not until September. Of course we’ll see Dilson Herrera, Dario Alvarez and Akeel Morris if the Mets need them, but all three have already debuted in the majors.
