MLB.com has begun released there annual 2015 prospect rankings. After reviewing the Top right handers, left handers, and catchers. Today MLB Pipeline released the top 1B prospects. Among them is 19 year old Dominic Smith, who despite displaying a power outage in Single A Savannah, has a bright future ahead of him.
"While he swung the bat well for part of the 2014 season, he tired by the end of his first full year of pro ball as one of the youngest regulars in the South Atlantic League. Smith is still plenty young enough to rebound and produce as expected. The left-handed hitter has the chance to hit for both average and power. He has excellent hand-eye coordination and an advanced approach at the plate. He still drew a fair amount of walks and didn't strike out much in 2014. Smith didn't exhibit much in the way of extra-base pop, though some of that can be attributed to hitting in a very pitching-friendly ballpark. He's limited to first base but has excellent hands and range and should be an above-average defender at the position."
8 comments:
I am stunned that he is ranked that high - he is getting big bonus points for his age in the SALLY last year.
I'm thrilled to see that the MLB recognizes Smith as the 4th 1B prospect, but, yes, we do need to start seeing 10-15 home runs a year, especially in St. Lucie in 2015.
Lew -
Fans just don't realize how hard it is to play and hit during July and August in Savannah.
I had to stop coming to the games because I actually had trouble breathing.
And he did well in those months too!
He was carrying a .300+ AVG and a .725+ OPS until he tired out in September.
Can't blame the kid at all.
Send him to Binghamton, where he can be playing during a snow squall in May. Not sure which is worse to a player - extreme cold or heat.
We are certainly grading out nicely in RHP, LHP, C and 1B so far. Let's see how Amed, Dilson and possibly Conforto do at their respective positions.
The last thing the Mets need to do is rush a first baseman.
And, the heat is much different in Savannah than Pt. St. Lucie. Savannah is all dead humidity... Florida is breezes off of the ocean down the block.
This is where the game of teaching someone what to do comes in. He's a proven, talented, young gap to gap hitter, but the Mets will need more on first someday.
You can teach a young kid how to change the angle of his swing while not loosing the velocity of it and there is no place to teach that better than where you have all the horns and whistles... right in your organization's backyard
Full Season ball as a debut in Savanah...followed by 19/20 Year Old Season in St. Lucie---- That's a Flat Out SURVIVAL Test.
Smith will face good level College guys with Major Talent...it's a League where the skilled 22 year old arms are ahead of the College pedigree bats.
It's nice to see Smith getting recognition and regard---maybe it's more impressive that his own team is pushing him so hard and fast.... they believe he's gonna hit.
On Smith--- I wouldn;t be in a hurry to see "power numbers".... some doubles would be nice!
More important that he maintain control of the Zone and AB's. It would be really nice to see hard contact rate moving up with a spray chart that shows more Gap and Pulls.
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