Smith was a late-riser who was seen as possibly being the best all-around catcher in the class. He came out of nowhere this spring, establishing himself as one of the best players on one of the best teams in college baseball (Louisville).
After batting .221 as a freshman and .242 as a sophomore, Smith hit .380 entering the Super Regionals in the 2016 College Baseball Playoffs. He hit eight doubles and seven home runs in 53 games, and even stole nine bases in as many attempts.
Perhaps most impressively, Smith only struck out 12 times this year. He’s described as a quality receiver with average arm strength, but it plays up due to his extremely quick transfer and he’s consistently under two seconds to second base from behind the plate.
While catcher may not have been an organizational need, with Yasmani Grandal’s presence and Austin Barnes nipping at his heels, it goes to show the Dodgers value taking the best player available over trying fecklessly to address Major-League needs.
With Smith’s polished bat, he could move quickly through the Minors, potentially giving the Dodgers another Major League quality backstop in a few years.
CONTINUE READING: Third Vanderbilt pitcher selected since 2015 Draft
