New York Mets: The impact of Dominic Smith’s breakout

Not exactly how Dominic Smith and the New York Mets imagined it.

In Dominic Smith’s 2017 mid-season call up to join the New York Mets, he was the team’s second-ranked prospect and was hitting .330 with 16 home runs at Triple-A Las Vegas.

He did struggle early in his minor league career with weight issues and skeptical scouts but he was the second-ranked Mets prospect in the end.

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After getting his August call up, he struggled to make a large impact from a well-roundedness perspective. Smith was able to play 49 games and collect 167 at-bats as a young 22-year-old.

In his 49 games, he hit .198, .262 OBP, .658 OPS. Not glaring numbers at all, but he did hit nine home runs, six doubles, and 26 RBIs which is reasonable for 49 games. During the 2017 season, he only played first base, but would later play some outfield in the seasons to come.

With a disappointing 2017 season, he entered 2018 with some competition. The Mets acquired five-time All-Star Adrian Gonzalez, who was on his decline.

Smith picked up a quad injury during spring training and would start the season in Triple-A. He had a very short stint when Jay Bruce went on the paternity list but was immediately sent down once Bruce returned.

Smith would get called up a month later in June, but would only last a month after being demoted again in July. He struggled to see consistent playing time and that can have a major impact on a young player.

During that up and down 2018 season, Smith had 143 at-bats and hit .224, .255 OBP, and .675 OPS. He only hit five home runs compared to his nine the previous year, and also saw a decline in RBIs to 11.

Off to a Hot Start, But Gets Injured

Despite his two bad MLB seasons where he saw inconsistent playing time, he was able to make the most of 2019 and was hungry to prove himself.

Smith did have some major competition in 2019. As you may all remember, Pete Alonso hit 53 home runs and won NL rookie of the year. Alonso became the no doubt first baseman for the Mets which meant Smith had to adapt and accept his role on the bench or a fringe starter.

In 2019, the league-wide designated hitter did not exist yet so Smith still had to yield his time at first base to Alonso. Although Smith was not a guaranteed starter every day at first base like Alonso, he was able to begin the season with the Mets and saw time in the outfield.

Smith was performing very well and proved to Mets fans that he is not a washed-up prospect.

Smith definitely felt more comfortable and felt that he earned the trust of the coaching staff despite being surpassed in the depth charts by Alonso at first base. In the first half of the season, he started 27 games, and pinch-hit often which led him to 77 appearances in games.

He finally showed his potential by hitting .304, .389 OBP, .939 OPS, eight home runs, and 14 RBIs.

But at the end of July, Smith was put on the injured list with a stress reaction in his left foot which would ultimately leave him out of the remaining 2019 season.  With this injury, he became forgotten behind Alonso’s stardom. Would it fuel him to come out swinging in 2020?

Dominic Smith is taking advantage of an opportunity from the New York Mets.

Dominic Smith is back and healthy for 2020, but the lineup is still stacked at the beginning of the shortened season. The addition of the league-wide designated hitter benefited Smith a lot, but only to an extent. The outfield was mostly set for the Mets and Yoenis Cespedes was slated as the everyday designated hitter.

But Cespedes decided to opt-out in early August in dramatic fashion. This is the only reason why Smith ended up on my fantasy sleepers list at the beginning of the season.

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Had Cespedes continued playing for the Mets, there would have been no way Smith would have seen enough consistent playing time to warrant a spot on your fantasy baseball team. But, when opportunities arise, you need to make the most of it.

Dom Smith surely made the most of Cespedes’ exit in 2020. This was Smith’s chance to play every day and repeat his small sample size 2019 season.

I am a huge believer of players performing better with consistent playing time and Smith’s performance thus far has been a part of it.

As a former college athlete who was not an everyday starter, it was difficult to perform when suddenly called upon. Especially in baseball where you play almost every day in the big leagues, knowing that your name will be in the lineup is a huge confidence booster. It leaves you without insecurities or a sense of worry which goes a long way.

The combination of league-wide designated hitters, the absence of Cespedes, and the Mets needing a spark while Alonso struggled was the golden opportunity for Smith.

After Cespedes opted out, Smith saw consistent playing time and continued to see increased time as he blew up.

Through 23 games (not including the Yankees doubleheader), he holds an impressive .315 BA, .402 OBP, 1.101 OPS. He has also hit seven home runs including the HR from yesterday. Smith is now rostered on 90.6% of ESPN fantasy baseball rosters.

In addition to consistent playing time, Smith has been hitting in the heart of the order more often because of his production. Smith now has 24 RBIs on the season which leads the team by a good amount.

His batting average is third among his teammates, his OBP is fifth, leads in home runs and OPS. Smith’s impressive season has been a bright spot for the disappointing Mets.

Despite the rough start for the Mets, they still have time to make up some ground in a mediocre NL East. If the Mets lineup can heat up, and the Mets somehow manage its rotation, they will be in a good spot.

Worst-case scenario, the Mets look to next year to build around two young sluggers in Smith and Alonso, and a good rotation if everyone can stay healthy.