Dom Smith's Progress a Testament to Perseverance
Smith’s hard work has him on the precipice of the next level
Progress is a powerful tool. The second you feel that tangible headway, it pushes you to keep going.
We all have our personal stories of progress. Some completed. Some ongoing. Some aborted. Baseball has its same.
Too many players to count have been out of the game before they found their rhythm. That’s not necessarily a knock on them. It’s just the nature of the beast. Goes for any walk of life, if we’re being honest.
Personally, I was counted out. TKO’d. A lost, hopeless cause. This isn’t some long-forgotten tale. This was less than a decade ago.
Addiction is motherfucker. I apologize for the salty language, but it’s the only way to describe that demon.
Kept at bay for almost ten years to the day (no joke), my father passed away in 2015 at age 58 after a long battle with cancer, and — snap — just like that I was free-falling.
In nine years, 11 months, and change, progress was made. Strides were taken. A life was reclaimed. Within days, all was lost.
Keep in mind, I had everything in the world to lose. Didn’t matter. The addicted mind has no conscience. That’s why I’ve always gotta keep that guard up. Bob and weave, baby.
I found my way out and, like anyone who has been down this road or one similar knows, was forced to start from scratch. I was broken down. It was time to build myself back up.
Jose Canseco, of all people, shared a curiously inspiring thought on Twitter a few weeks back:
“We all have two lives. The second one starts when you realize you only have one.”
Those words struck a chord because I remember that point in my two lives well. I won’t get into the details here (always take the best parts back), but a conscious decision was made. Stay moving forward or stay left behind.
New York Mets ultimate team player Dominic Smith (is he a first baseman, a left fielder, a sterling bench cog, or is he a superhero?) knows a little something about that, as well.
After an underwhelming first few cups of coffee in the big leagues (.210/.259/.406, 28.9% strikeout rate, 5.4% walk rate, 78 wRC+ over 332 plate appearances), the former first-round pick could have faded away just like the thousands who had before him.
It didn’t shake out that way. And we shouldn't be surprised. Following a rededication to physical health, including getting his sleep apnea under control, Smith has been a brand new player and arguably the life force of these New York Mets.
Since the start of 2019, Smith has broken out to the tune of a .299/.366/.571 line with 21 home runs, 31 doubles, a 22.5% strikeout rate, 8.3% walk rate, 148 wRC+, and 2.6 wins above replacement (FanGraphs) over 396 plate appearances.
As we’ve noted here in the past, Smith’s 164 wRC+ over 50 games in 2020 ranked sixth among all qualified MLB hitters.
Smith spoke passionately from Port St. Lucie on Thursday regarding his growth as a player.
I missed today’s media sessions due to prior personal engagements (made my way to New Haven, stopped at Modern Apizza; I apologize for nothing), but Anthony DiComo of MLB.com shared a terrific clip of his words on Twitter.
Progress has been made. Strides have been taken. Looks Dominic Smith realized he only has one life to live and his second one has just begun.
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