The Braves are adding a little insurance to their depth chart at first base, signing Dominic Smith to a minor league deal with an invite to big league camp. It’s a low-risk move with some upside - exactly the kind of deal that can quietly pay off over the course of a long season.
Smith, once a top prospect and first-round pick, had his moment in the spotlight back in 2019 and 2020. During that stretch with the Mets, he slashed a scorching .299/.366/.571 with 21 home runs in just under 400 plate appearances.
It looked like the breakout was real. But baseball rarely follows a straight line, and Smith’s path took a detour.
In 2021, he tried to gut it out through a torn labrum in his right shoulder - a decision that, in hindsight, clearly impacted his performance. Then came more bad luck.
In 2024, he broke the hamate bone in his right hand, which required surgery. Surgeons even suggested that the injury may have stemmed from a years-long stress reaction.
When you stack those health issues together, it paints a clearer picture of why his production dipped so dramatically over the past few seasons.
From 2021 through 2024, Smith logged over 1,500 plate appearances but hit just .241/.311/.360 - a far cry from the potential he flashed earlier. That kind of drop-off raised eyebrows, but knowing now what he was playing through, the decline makes more sense.
The good news? Smith showed signs of life in 2025.
Splitting time between the Giants and the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate, he put together a solid campaign. In San Francisco, he posted a .284/.333/.417 line over 225 plate appearances - good for a 111 wRC+, which puts him comfortably above league average.
The Giants used him mostly against right-handed pitching, and he delivered, slashing .296/.343/.436 in those matchups. He struggled in limited action against lefties, but the platoon-friendly profile is still valuable in the right setup.
In Triple-A with the Yankees, Smith added another .255/.333/.448 line across 45 games before heading west to the Giants. So while he’s not back to that 2019-20 form, he’s clearly trending in the right direction - and healthy again.
Now in Atlanta, Smith faces a tough road to regular playing time. Matt Olson has first base locked down, and the Braves have a crowded mix of outfielders and DH options in Ronald Acuña Jr., Jurickson Profar, Mike Yastrzemski, and Michael Harris II. But Smith gives the Braves a lefty bat with some pop and recent production - and that’s not nothing.
If Olson were to miss time, Smith could step in at first. And if any of the outfielders go down, his bat could find its way into the DH mix.
He’s not a classic bench masher, but he’s coming off a season where he held his own at the plate, especially against right-handers. He’s also logged a few innings in left field, though first base remains his primary position.
The Braves' bench, as it stands, isn’t exactly stacked with offense. Brett Wisely and Eli White are in line for spots, largely because they’re out of minor league options.
Wisely was just reacquired last week, and while he brings some versatility, he’s not guaranteed a roster spot. White offers value as a glove-first outfielder who can cover all three spots.
Meanwhile, Jorge Mateo and Mauricio Dubón provide plenty of defensive flexibility - especially with Dubón starting at short while Ha-Seong Kim is sidelined.
That opens the door for a player like Smith. He doesn’t need to be an everyday guy to be useful.
If he keeps swinging it like he did in 2025, he could carve out a role - even if it’s just as a matchup-based bat off the bench. For a team with postseason aspirations, having a lefty like Smith in your back pocket isn’t a bad thing.