On Tuesday night against the Miami Marlins, with the Braves down 4-0 in the second inning, Dom Smith, batting seventh in the lineup, drove in Ozzie Albies from second with a single. The Braves’ offense was floundering, and Smith, the gem, according to his manager, came through once again. During the same game, Smith continued his strong run of play this season, leading off the seventh inning with a single, and after advancing to second on a fielder’s choice, was left there by Michael Harris II, Mauricio Dubon, and Ronald Acuna, Jr.
Smith would get another chance at the plate in the eighth inning with the bases loaded and the Braves down 5-3. Braves manager Walt Weiss has described the free-agent pickup as a “professional hitter,” and the at-bat in the seventh inning could be used as the perfect description of what Smith continues to do for Atlanta this season. While he fought off several pitches from Marlins right-hander Pete Fairbanks, Smith kept the fans, just over 29,000 at Truist Park after a weekend of sellout crowds, before doubling off the center field wall and driving in three runs. Heading into the ninth, the score was 6-5 Braves. The final score was the same, and Smith, once again, was the hero.
“How about Dom Smith?” said Weiss as soon as he sat down in the press conference room after the game. “This is turning into a great story. I’m so happy for him.”
Dominic David Renee Smith has become a talisman of sorts for the Atlanta Braves. Through the first month of the season, he already has a walk-off home run (See: March 28 at Truist Park during the Braves’ 6-2 win over the Kansas City Royals) and has made an impact in the clubhouse, according to his manager.
“Dom’s a gem,” said Weiss after the Braves’ 11-5 win on April 10. “He’s a wonderful person and a great teammate. He’s been awesome for us.”
Two times this season, Smith, who through 15 games is batting nearly .400 and has a 1.099 OPS, has had multi-hit games, including a three-hit game against the Guardians on Friday, April 10. That was one of the three games this season in which he has driven in two or more runs. That game-winning walkoff homerun against Kansas City on opening week was a grand slam.
Asked what he thought about Weiss describing him as a “professional hitter,” Smith said that was always what he was aiming for when he started his baseball journey.
“That’s how I grew up, and that’s what I thought from 12 years old to 30 [years old] now,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to be a high-average guy, and I think if you’re a high-average guy, that’s how you kind of get labeled a professional hitter. When you watch the game, and you see good at-bats, and you see some of the pitches, whether I lay off or whether I get a hit, that just quantifies being a professional hitter.”
The Braves were without the gem last Saturday night, and they lost 6-0. He returned to the lineup and batted seventh on the following Sunday and wasted little time making an impact, hitting a first-pitch two-run home run in the fourth inning. The Braves won that game 13-1.
It’s no coincidence that when first-year Atlanta Braves designated hitter Dom Smith is in the lineup, the Braves are better off.
Smith played for five Major League Baseball teams before he arrived in Atlanta, including the team that drafted him, the New York Mets, and National League East rivals, the Washington Nationals. The Braves will be in Washington for a four-game series beginning on Monday, April 20. During his time in the majors, Smith has been moved around a lot, but seems to have found a home in Atlanta. Through the first month of the season, Smith has played in 13 games and is hitting well over .300 with three home runs and 11 RBI.
Drafted in the first round by the Mets in 2013 at the age of 18, Smith made his major league debut on August 11, 2017, in a game against the Phillies. He was 22 years old and went 1-3. A Roc Nation client, Smith turns 31 on June 15, and these days, when he comes to the plate, Weiss is feeling better about what’s to come. “I used to hate to see him get in the box in a big spot because I knew it was going to be a tough out,” Weiss said.
Smith, a native of Gardena, California, is wreaking havoc on Braves opponents at the bottom of the lineup as a designated hitter. His other position is first base, but with Braves All-Star first baseman Matt Olson having recently passed the 800 consecutive games mark, Smith’s bat will be his best chance to remain in the lineup and at the plate on a regular basis. The bottom third of the Braves’ lineup has been lauded as a godsend by Weiss for their production this season.
After the game on Tuesday, Smith said getting away from that “professional hitter” mentality, something that might have hurt his career a bit, but he’s in a better headspace these days. “I’m just trying to be who I am, and that’s who I am.”
