3 Mets position players who benefit from the 13 pitcher limit

2. NY Mets First Baseman Dominic Smith

In a season that has seen pretty much everything go right for the Mets, the biggest disappointment in my opinion has been the play of Dom Smith.

His playing time has been a question mark all season after how poorly he performed last season, posting an OPS+ of 83 in 145 games played. He was one of the healthiest Mets and didn't produce much at all at the plate.

However, once Robinson Cano was DFA'd, Smith had his chance to get a majority of the at bats at first base with Pete Alonso serving as the DH. Unfortunately, after his four hit game on the night Cano was released, he had just six hits in 46 at bats before being sent down to AAA.

Dom does not have a home run at the big league level in 11 months and has been a shell of the player he was in 2020.

Since his demotion, Smith has slashed .291/.361/.491 in 13 games with two home runs and nine RBI. It's nice to see Dom producing and hitting for some power, but I still don't view him as the most likely candidate to get the call.

While Dom has had his chances in the outfield, it's clear he's a first baseman, and a first baseman only. The Mets happen to have one of the best first basemen in the game in Pete Alonso, so that position is taken.

Dom has a path to playing time with the DH, but unlike Dom, J.D. Davis has taken advantage of getting the primary at-bats as the DH. He's hit .320 in 50 at-bats since Dom's demotion and is the leader in hard-hit rate according to baseball savant.

Davis should be getting consistent at bats and so should Luis Guillorme who has shined with the bat and glove all season. There simply isn't a spot for Dom to get at bats, so it's best for both the Mets and Dom to just give him an everyday role in Syracuse.