Many of the New York Mets’ top prospects have gotten off to great starts in the 2015 season. In fact, Dilson Herrera, Kevin Plawecki, and Noah Syndergaard have already earned promotions to the big leagues, with some help from injuries at the major league level, of course. However, the lone exception to that has been first base prospect Dominic Smith, who has a disappointing line of .194/.250/.237 in his first 25 games. Many Mets fans have started to become frustrated with Smith’s lack of progress after he was the team’s first round pick in 2015. But rest assured, Smith’s slow start in 2015 is no big deal.
For starters, it’s important to remember that Smith is barely two years removed from his high school graduation and he won’t turn 20 years old until the middle of June. Most players his age are participating in extended spring training in preparation for an assignment with a short-season club, while Smith is playing in the Florida State League, the highest level of A-ball, just a level below double-A. Even if the Mets were to keep Smith at the same level all season and then send him back to the Florida State League in 2016, he would still be ahead of the curve. Thus, there is less reason to be concerned about Smith’s slow start.
When evaluating Smith’s performance this season, one has to remember that he is facing older and more polished pitchers, including a few that may very well reach the big leagues within the next year or so. In fact, it would be surprising if Smith had gotten off to a fast start this year. Smith’s 2014 season actually unfolded in a similar fashion, as he started slow in April, but put together a solid middle of the season in May, June, and July, before tiring out late in the season. Smith has started to show signs of breaking out of his early-season slump with nine hits and nine RBI’s in his last eight games.
This isn’t to say there shouldn’t be some concern regarding Smith. His power was largely absent last season and almost non-existent this season, and his long-term value as a first base prospect will be minimal if he doesn’t hit for power. Until that power starts to show up in games, there is a limit to how high Smith’s stock can get.
But the fact that the Mets feel comfortable placing a teenager like Smith in the highest level of A-ball shows they think highly of him and are comfortable and not at all concerned with his lack of production. At the moment, sub-par numbers should be expected from Smith, as there is no reason to be overly concerned about his struggles. More importantly, he is years away from anyone in their right mind labeling him a bust.
Bryan Zarpentine is a New York Mets writer at www.RantSports.com. Like him on Facebook, follow him on twitter @BZarp and add him on Google.