Versatile, fast NY Mets prospect is worth paying attention in the Arizona Fall League

The Arizona Fall League gets underway this week. Coverage for the top New York Mets prospects will be dependent on how well they play. The Scottsdale Scorpions will have a couple of Mets prospects present with versatile and speedy D’Andre Smith being regarded as the team’s most under-the-radar representative to watch.

It’s a fair declaration. Smith is coming off of a big year in the minors. At 24, the 5th round pick from 2022 is in a pivotal point of his professional career with Rule 5 Draft eligibility this winter, the Mets will get one last chance to see if he’s worth protecting or not.

D’Andre Smith isn’t just an under-the-radar Mets prospect, he’s an important one

Smith hadn’t done a whole lot in the minors until this past year. Spending most of his season in Double-A, he slashed .279/.334/.411 with 7 home runs and 24 stolen bases. Most of his career has been spent at second base. This past year, he moved into more of a full-time role as a corner outfielder with just over 300 innings in left field and right field for Binghamton.

It’s nothing unusual for a prospect to experience what it’s like to play all over the field. The minor leagues is where you try to figure those things out. Results at second base don’t look to have been too great for Smith who had a .936 fielding percentage there; not that it tells the whole story.

This past season fulfilled close to half, if not more, of many of his offensive statistics. His 8 total home runs (he played minimally in Single-A) accounted for more than half of the 15 he has hit since getting drafted. The 31 total stolen bases was a huge surprise. He has 49 overall. Playing time for him increased, too. 101 of his 227 games took place in 2025.

Sending him to the AFL represents at least some faith there’s more to Smith than where things were trending previous to 2025. Often a time to let players who were hurt for much of the season get extra competitive playing time, like the Mets did last year with Drew Gilbert, Jett Williams, and Dylan Ross for instance, they’re doing it again with some pitchers who missed significant time this past year, including Wyatt Hudepohl.

Smith has a lot more to prove before he becomes a body worth protecting in the Rule 5 Draft. The Arizona Fall League is more likely an extended audition for other ball clubs for potential trades. Although not considered a top Mets prospect at any point, a fifth round selection in the successful 2022 draft has him among some more notable names. Taken a round after Jacob Reimer and two before Jonah Tong, Smith is showing signs of life and can help his case with a strong showing out in the desert.