Dominic Smith

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked New York Mets #2 prospect in 2017
  The 11th overall pick in the 2013 draft, Smith hit only one home run in his full-season debut at low Class A Savannah in 2014. He corrected course in 2015 with a Florida State League MVP season at high Class A St. Lucie and then in 2016 with a seamless transition to Double-A Binghamton, where he ranked third in the Eastern League in both hits (146) and RBIs (91). Smith strongly resembles the player he was on draft day in that he is a natural hitter--the best in the system--with strong defensive ability at first base. He hit .300 for a second straight season in 2016 while establishing career-best marks for strikeout rate (13.6 percent), home runs (14) and isolated slugging percentage (.156). Smith hit all but four of his homers in the first half, but his average surged to .345 in the second after he adjusted his swing to keep his front hip closed, his bat path direct and his hands down through the ball. He began to drive the ball consistently in 2016 and shows solid-average power to go with a plus hit tool. He is listed at 250 pounds and doesn't run well, but is nimble around first base with a quick first step and sure hands to save his infielders errors. His lack of hustle and sloppy physique turn off some evaluators. Smith will head to Triple-A Las Vegas in 2017, and by the time he is big league ready will have no one blocking his path in New York.
• 
  Ranked New York Mets #3 prospect in 2016
  The 11th overall pick in the 2013 draft, Smith completed the Mets' trio of high school position players selected in the first round, following Brandon Nimmo in 2011 and Gavin Cecchini in 2012. Smith hit only one home run during his fullseason debut at low Class A Savannah in 2014, but he led the Florida State League with 33 doubles and 79 RBIs and ranked third with a .417 slugging percentage at high Class A St. Lucie in 2015 to win the circuit's MVP award. Smith also ranked fourth in the FSL batting race by hitting .313, and even scouts who are pessimistic about his ceiling concede that his loose hitting actions, hand-eye coordination and smooth lefthanded stroke will produce a high batting average. He goes with pitches on the outer half and drives them to left field, and he even pulled a few home runs to right field in 2015. Given his mature frame, though, Smith must learn to loft the ball to enhance his below-average power, rather than grow naturally into more home runs. He doesn't run well, but his strong footwork, range and solid-average arm strength could make him a daring, Gold Glove-caliber defender at first base. He doesn't swing and miss often and has one of the best two-strike approaches in the system, but some scouts ding him for a laid-back attitude and lackadaisical pregame routine. Smith won't have to improve much to develop into a on-base-oriented, slick-fielding first basemen, but he can rewrite that report if he adds more home runs to his portfolio and embraces the grind a bit more. He's ready for Double-A Binghamton after hitting .362 with 12 walks in 14 Arizona Fall League games.
• 
  Ranked New York Mets #11 prospect in 2015
  The Mets invested $2.6 million to sign Smith, selected No. 11 overall in the 2013 draft, paying him the franchise's highest-ever bonus for a high school pick. Unlike 2011 or 2012 prep first-rounders Brandon Nimmo or Gavin Cecchini, however, Smith advanced to low Class A Savannah the year after signing, but he performed unevenly. He exceeded the South Atlantic League averages by hitting .271 with a .344 on-base percentage, but he slugged a below-average .338 and hit only one home run. Scouts laud Smith for his natural bat path, pretty lefthanded swing and strong, quick hands, projecting him to hit for a plus average. He can line the ball up the middle or to left field to keep defenses honest, but the power to right field he shows in batting practice has not transferred to games. Smith doesn't run well, but he's an agile defender at first base with strong footwork and Gold Glove potential. A lackadaisical pregame routine and low-energy approach concern scouts more than a lack of manifest power, but Smith will begin the 2015 season as a 19-year-old at high Class A St. Lucie, meaning he has nothing but time to answer his critics.
• 
  Ranked New York Mets #4 prospect in 2014
  The Mets drafted a high school position player in the first round for the third straight year in 2013, tabbing Smith with the 11th pick and signing him for $2.6 million, their largest expenditure ever for a prep product. After hitting .196 through his first 51 pro at-bats, Smith batted .328/.424/.448 in his final 33 games in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League to earn a late bump to Rookie-level Kingsport. Southern California area scouts turned in favorable reviews of Smith's bat and defense at first base throughout his high school career. A sweet lefthanded swing combined with hand-eye coordination and sound pitch recognition all indicate that he will hit for average while posting a high on-base percentage. He hits with authority to his pull side and straight away, and he could mature into a steady 20-homer threat. Smith gets in trouble when his hips drift and he tries to yank everything to right field, so the Mets have worked with him to stay down and through the ball. Though he doesn't run well, he has quick feet, solid arm strength and soft hands, and many see him as a Gold Glove-caliber defender at first base. The Mets love Smith's quick bat and say he's much more athletic than he appears, so he could jump to low Class A Savannah to begin the 2014 season. He has the ingredients to develop into a first-division first baseman.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #14 prospect in 2013 draft
  Smith has been a big name in the Southern California prep ranks for years, and he has justified the hype by continuing to perform at a high level as a senior. He has an innate feel for his barrel, a relaxed approach and a pretty lefthanded stroke, causing most scouts to project him as a plus hitter in the big leagues. He still wastes at-bats and chases at times, and he can get caught on his front foot, but he has the bat speed and hand-eye coordination to get away with it at this level, and he has the aptitude to make adjustments. As he spends more time in the weight room and learns to stay back and use his lower half better, he figures to hit for plus power. Smith's other plus tool is his defense at first base, where he has soft hands, quick feet and great instincts. He can touch 90 mph off the mound, and his arm plays well at first base. It doesn't work as well in right field, where he is more of a fringy defender with below-average speed. But he can be a Gold Glove defender at first base with enough offensive potential to make him an all-star. The game comes easily to him, and he is so smooth sometimes that he can almost look nonchalant, but scouts rave about his makeup and work ethic.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Pacific Coast League #6 prospect in 2017
  A career .302 hitter in the minors, Smith stepped up his power production at Las Vegas by smashing a career-high 16 home runs and 34 doubles. The Mets called him up on Aug. 11. While his power numbers have increased the past two seasons, Smith hasn't changed his approach much. He projects for solid-average power, while hitting the ball to the off field enough to hit for a plus average. Thickly built but more athletic than he appears, Smith has plus hands and footwork at first base. "His plate discipline is what stands out," Las Vegas manager Pedro Lopez said. "He's not going out there just to hit home runs. He has power, but he stays within himself. He stays up the middle with his approach, and most of his home runs come by hitting the ball the opposite way."
• 
  Ranked Eastern League #15 prospect in 2016
  Smith provided plenty of value on both sides of the ball as a 21-year-old in his first taste of Double-A. He's got a smooth, powerful swing from the left side, and he closed a big hole as the year progressed. Early on, Smith could be beat with inside pitches because his front side would open early and his swing would become loopy. He worked with Mets coaches to close that hole and keep his hands down and through the zone. While Smith checks in at a listed weight of 250 pounds, he provides strong defensive value. EL managers saw a nimble defender with good hands and range at first base. Some noted that while his feet weren't the quickest, he made up the ground with quick jumps. Some managers also noted that Smith was pulled from games for lack of hustle, and also noted that the errors he did make were due to lack of concentration.
• 
  Ranked Florida State League #14 prospect in 2015
  It was a tale of two seasons for Smith, who some scouts wrote off early in the season for being out of shape and out of time at the plate. Scouts and opposing managers and coaches questioned his desire to work hard because his pregame routine showed little evidence that he cared enough to grind through a season. But the 2013 first-round pick adjusted, reducing his leg kick to get his foot down sooner at the plate and letting his natural hitting timing take over. The ball comes off Smith's bat well and as he learned to pull the ball, his gap power began to play. He led the FSL in doubles (33) and RBIs (79) and ranked third in slugging (.417). He has excellent plate coverage and hangs in well against southpaws. He's also nimble around the first-base bag, has the arm strength to initiate double plays and grades as a future plus defender with a bit more polish. Nevertheless, Smith must watch his weight and show he can grind it out over a full season, and he currently lacks the profile home-run power for a first baseman. A poor baserunner, he led the league in grounding into double plays.
• 
  Ranked Florida Complex League #4 prospect in 2013
  Smith earned rave reviews from scouts for his hitting and defense coming out of high school in Southern California. The Mets drafted him this year with the 11th overall pick and signed him for $2.6 million. After struggling the first few weeks of the season, Smith adjusted and hit .372 in August. With a sweet lefthanded swing, good bat speed, hand-eye coordination and pitch recognition, Smith has the potential to be a plus hitter and get on base at a high clip. He?s at his best when he stays down and through the ball, which allows him to spray line drives all over the field. He can get caught out on his front foot at times, which gets him in trouble when he drifts and tries to pull every pitch. He hit just three home runs in the GCL, but he has sock to the middle of the field and to his pull side, with above-average future power potential. A below-average runner, Smith has Gold Glove potential at first base. He?s excellent around the bag with quick feet, soft hands, good instincts and a strong arm for a first baseman. He?s still learning to get into a more athletic position to receive throws, but that?s correctable.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #71 prospect in 2017
• Ranked Baseball America's #79 prospect in 2016
• Ranked Baseball America's #92 prospect in 2014

• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: The 11th overall pick in the 2013 draft, Smith hit only one home run in his full-season debut at low Class A Savannah in 2014. He corrected course in 2015 with a Florida State League MVP season at high Class A St. Lucie and then in 2016 at Double-A Binghamton, where ranked third in the Eastern League in hits (146) and RBIs (91). Scouting Report: Smith strongly resembles the player he was on draft day in that he is a natural hitter--the best in the system--with strong defensive ability at first base. He hit .300 for a second straight season in 2016 while establishing career-best marks for strikeout rate (13.6 percent), home runs (14) and isolated slugging percentage (.156). Smith hit all but four of his homers in the first half, but his average surged to .345 in the second after he adjusted his swing to keep his front hip closed, his bat path direct and his hands down through the ball. He began to drive the ball consistently in 2016 and shows average power to go with a plus hit tool. He is listed at 250 pounds and doesn't run well, but is nimble around first base with a quick first step and sure hands to save his infielders errors.
  
  The Future: Smith will head to Triple-A Las Vegas in 2017, and by the time he is big league ready will have no one blocking his path in New York.