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.