We’ve hit the final week of the regular season, and that means it’s time for the final regular season edition of Minor League Mondays. We’ve examined plenty of New York Mets’ prospects over the course of the season, but we saved a very unique one for last. This left handed pitcher was relatively unheralded entering the season, but he has since emerged as a rising prospect who could be a factor in the Mets’ big league rotation as soon as next year. That man is Kevin Smith, and he is the focus of this week’s edition of Minor League Mondays.
Smith was the Mets’ seventh round pick out of Georgia in 2018, and the Mets assigned him to Brooklyn to begin his pro career. The Cyclones mostly had Smith work out of the bullpen, where he pitched to a 0.76 ERA, but he did make 3 starts and struck out 28 batters in 23.2 innings pitched. The Mets made Smith a starter permanently this season and bumped him up to High-A St. Lucie to start 2019. Smith pitched well over his first six starts there, going 3-2 with a 3.45 ERA, and the Mets promoted him to AA Binghamton shortly after.
The move to Binghamton agreed with Smith, who became one of the Rumble Ponies’ top starters. Smith started 17 games in Binghamton, going 5-5 with a 3.05 ERA and striking out 102 batters in 85.1 innings pitched. Opposing hitters batted just .259 against Smith, and his strong year definitely caught the attention of scouts. Smith is currently rated as the Mets’ 11th best prospect according to MLB.com, and the question becomes whether or not he has enough stuff to succeed as a starter at the big league level.
In terms of pure stuff, Smith isn’t overpowering, with a fastball that sits in the low 90’s that is paired with an above average slider and an improving curveball. The key to Smith’s success is his arm movement, which leads to a fastball that is effectively faster than its actual speed due to a high spin rate. Mets’ fans are familiar with spin rate thanks to Seth Lugo, whose curveball is dominant thanks to its elite spin rate.
The jury is still out on what Smith’s exact role with a big league team will be. In terms of pure stuff, Smith has the ability to be a back end starter at the big league level, but his unique delivery gives him a nice floor as a lefty specialist. The Mets will likely have Smith continue to develop as a starter next season with AAA Syracuse, bumping him up the minor league ladder to see how he adjusts to a higher level of competition. The goal here may be for Smith to be ready to fill a big league rotation spot in 2021, when Marcus Stroman’s contract expires, but he could debut as soon as next season as a lefty reliever if the Mets have a need there.
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