Upon return, Smith hitting for average
DENVER — Dominic Smith is finished trying to prove he is a power hitter.
The home runs will come, he said, but this just-completed road trip — a 10-game stretch that marked his return to the major leagues — may have more accurately showed what he is about as a hitter.
With his two hits in as many at-bats off the bench in the Mets’ 6-4 loss to the Rockies at Coors Field on Thursday, the second-year first baseman/outfielder finished 9-for-29 (.310) on the trip, with one homer.
“You hear all the talk about how you don’t have power, so you try to do too much and try to hit home runs and that is not really my game,” Smith said. “I can hit the ball out of the park as well, but I hit the ball out of the park at all fields, so it’s definitely something I wanted to be more cautious of this year.”
Instead, the 23-year-old Smith is using the whole field.
“I definitely didn’t want to get away from that, because if they are going to throw me away I might as well take my hits, my doubles,” Smith said.
In his six-week debut with the Mets late last season, Smith finished with nine homers, but batted only .198, prompting team officials to sign veteran Adrian Gonzalez in the offseason. Gonzalez was released at the end of the last homestand, clearing space for Smith to return from Triple-A Las Vegas.
“He is staying through the ball, he is staying up the middle, the oppositefield gap and he’s not trying to do too much,” manager Mickey Callaway said. “He is trying to hit line drives all over the field and he’s reaping the benefits of that.”
Smith also got to show he can survive in left field if needed. He started two games at the position at Coors Field, after just learning the outfield last month in the minors.
“I am relaxed out there, now I am comfortable,” Smith said. “Colorado has a real big outfield, so to get my first couple of starts out of the way here, definitely a weight off my shoulders and I’m excited to see what I can do at Citi Field.”