Dominic Smith ranked fourth best first base prospect by MLB.com

Dominic Smith, who was chosen by the Mets in the first round (11th overall) of the 2013 Draft, has been ranked the fourth best first base prospect by MLB.com.

Josh Bell of the Pirates was ranked first on the list, and the other players ahead of Smith were Matthew Olson and Gregory Bird.

Players who checked in behind Smith included A.J. Reed, Casey Gillaspie, and Dan Vogelbach.

On the scouting scale, Smith received the following grades:

Hit: 50
Power: 50
Run: 40
Arm: 50
Field: 60
Overall grade: 50

Writes Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com:

"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.When you’re limited to first, though, there is pressure for the bat to develop and become one of the run-producing variety. The Mets feel the power will eventually come as Smith matures and that he’ll take a step in that direction during his second full season in 2015."

Smith, 19, hit .271/.344/.338 in 518 plate appearances over 126 games last season for Low-A Savannah.

It’s expected that Smith will open 2015 with High-A St. Lucie.

Thoughts:

After an impressive debut for the Mets in Rookie ball in 2013, Smith took a step back last season.

However, the area where Smith struggled the most last year – power – can be in part explained by the fact that he played his home games in Historic Grayson Stadium, one of the least hitter-friendly parks in all of the minors.

Although his power wasn’t there in 2014, Smith still got on base at a solid clip while keeping his strikeout rate low (14.9 %).

Regardless of his lack of power in 2014, Smith is still the real deal: a smart, gifted hitter who is expected to be a plus defender at first base.

The test for Smith will come in 2015, when he’ll likely be with High-A St. Lucie for the majority of the season.