Dominic Smith’s season began with optimism he was about to become a star for the Mets, but it’s in danger of ending on the bench, or at least in a reduced role.
The drop-off has been jarring. Smith entered Saturday in a homer drought that had extended beyond a month, and his .198/.209/.235 slash line for August was indicative of the Mets’ overall scoring woes.
For the season, Smith owned a pedestrian .661 OPS — more than a 300-point drop from his breakout 2020 season, in which finished 13th in the National League MVP voting.
Smith was absent from Saturday’s starting lineup, as manager Luis Rojas played Jeff McNeil in left field against the Nationals.
“Up and down,” Rojas said of Smith’s season. “We saw him swinging good when we were on the Arizona/San Diego trip [in June] and it’s been kind of scattered when he shows up. It’s just been up and down, not playing off his lower half as much.”
Rojas said he spoke recently with Smith about using the lower half of his body at the plate so he can stay balanced and have a better chance against the breaking ball. But Smith also is among the Mets who have struggled against the fastball. Though he entered Saturday with a .287 batting average against that pitch, his slugging percentage was only .392.
Last week, hitting coach Hugh Quattlebaum suggested that Smith has been banged up — particularly his right wrist and groin — and that has contributed to Smith’s struggles. But Smith and Rojas have both downplayed the injury aspect.
The manager was asked Saturday if he thought there was a correlation between Smith not using his lower half and a potential grind on his legs from his extended outfield usage this season.
“It could play a role,” Rojas said. “But nobody is making it a thing that it’s affecting him or his approach or stance or mechanics. Early in the season when he was fresh, he got in a funk and he was doing the same things, he was hitting with no legs and he wasn’t able to drive the ball, he wasn’t hitting for power. Like a lot of guys on the team he is searching and looking to get to that consistent approach: stance, swing, everything that is going to help him drive the ball better.”
Smith’s struggles have been most pronounced at Citi Field. He entered play with a .219/.286/.291 slash line at home with just three homers. His last homer overall had come on July 21 in Cincinnati.
“We’re basically going in left with the hot hand right now,” Rojas said.
It’s a plan that will also extend to third base, where Jonathan Villar started Saturday over J.D. Davis.
“J.D. has been a good hitter for us throughout the season and putting the ball in play against right-handed pitchers, but that is what we’re planning in those two positions, basically,” Rojas said. “I know McNeil hasn’t played third, but he may play third one day too if he gets going. If he and Dom are swinging a good bat and Villar and J.D. aren’t going so well, we may mix them in.”