Dom Smith was in the Mets’ lineup as the DH Wednesday night, and delivered what was, ostensibly, the game-winning hit in the team’s 8-3 win in Cincinnati.
He was not in the lineup for Thursday’s game at Citi Field against the Marlins, however, and Tiki Barber thinks that’s a mistake – because he thinks the time has come to give Smith every day at-bats.
“Dom Smith is such an interesting case for the Mets. He needs to play every single day,” Tiki said bluntly. “Now, that’s hard to say, because Mets fans are probably listening to this thinking he was a malcontent, and he was terrible, but he needs to play every day.”
Smith was a hero Wednesday, and since returning from Triple-A on June 21, he has a .333/.333/.569 slash line, with six doubles and three RBI (the biggest of which came Wednesday). That’s an 11-game span over 13 total for the Mets, and Smith has produced when needed – something, to be fair, even Tiki admits wasn’t the case over the first two months.
“His path is so interesting. At the beginning of the season we had all these expectations for him – can he be a part-time player, who spells Pete Alonso at first and can be a DH, and still produce?” Tiki said. “There was a lot of hype around him, but what we found is that the team didn’t have a spot for him, so the question was where he fits – and he almost got traded.”
Tiki recalled how Mets manager Buck Showalter basically had to cheer up Smith by spinning the trade rumors as Smith being a highly-desirable player rather than a spare part without a home, and how Smith unfortunately didn’t hold up that end of the bargain.
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Not so much over the last couple weeks, though.
“We wondered where his career was headed, but since he came back up on June 21, he has mostly played every day,” Tiki said, “and over his last 11 games and 27 at-bats, he’s hitting .333 with an OPS of almost .900.
When he plays every day, he has produced for this team, and in a game they had to win last night, Dom Smith came up big, and I love what I’m seeing from him playing every day.”
And right now, Tiki believes Smith is the Mets’ best option in some ways.
“It was a narrative we started the season with, and one we’re starting to get back to, because we’re seeing the benefit of him being out on the field,” Tiki said, “and I really feel convicted about this when I think of the alternatives – because what are the alternatives right now? With the lack of an option of trading him, just keep him and play him every day. Out of 82 games they’ve played, J.D. Davis has DH’ed 36 times, Pete Alonso has DH’ed 18 games, and Dom has DH’ed 13 games. You’re telling me Dom Smith isn’t a better DH right now than J.D. Davis? Because the answer to that is yes, because Smith is doing exactly what you want him and need him to do.”
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