When asked how Dominic Smith could contribute to the Yankees early on in camp, Aaron Boone gave an honest assessment.
“The reality is probably something has to happen to open up a lane there,” the manager said. “But he’s here because we know if that lane does open up, we’ve got a quality hitter and quality person that you can add in the mix real easy.”
Fast forward a few weeks and Smith is no longer stuck in traffic. Instead, injuries to Giancarlo Stanton (tennis elbows) and DJ LeMahieu (calf) have created a smoother — if not entirely clear — drive as the non-roster invitee tries to crack the Yankees’ Opening Day roster.
The 29-year-old has certainly helped himself with his own performance, tallying two homers and seven RBI over five spring training games. Four of those ribbies came on Monday night, as Smith blooped two bases-loaded singles in a 12-3 win over the Pirates.
4-RBI game for Dom 👏 pic.twitter.com/ZmeHAoX2vi
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 4, 2025
Exhibition stats should be taken with a grain of salt — Baseball Reference’s Opponent Quality metric says Smith has faced the equivalent of Double-A pitching on the whole this spring — but the Yankees have raved about the physical shape the former Met is in.
“The guy’s been a really good, pro hitter throughout his career,” Boone said of Smith, who owns a .717 OPS over eight seasons, early in camp. “I know he feels good about where he is. He’s in good shape.”
While speaking to the YES Network on Monday, Boone added, “Dom Smith has come in here and looked strong” as he went over the Yankees’ DH alternatives with Stanton sidelined.
Boone also mentioned possibly carrying three catchers and using Ben Rice and J.C. Escarra for some DH at-bats, and Everson Pereira and Pablo Reyes, another non-roster invitee, were listed. It’s also likely that Aaron Judge will get a bulk of DH days, and 37-year-old first baseman Paul Goldschmidt could factor in as well.
There could still be room at the end of the Yankees’ bench for Smith, however. A left-handed swinger, he has some pop and can be a backup option at first base. He’s also been playing some left field, though he hasn’t done that in major league games since 2021, when he recorded -10 Outs Above Average.
A Met from 2017-2022, Smith enjoyed his best seasons from 2019-2021. He totaled 32 homers, 125 RBI and a .787 OPS over that stretch. He’s played just one full big league season since, as he lost playing time, struggled and was demoted by the Mets in 2022.
The 29-year-old had a mediocre year with Washington in 2023, and he’s bounced between minor league deals since. Smith totaled 84 games with the Reds and Red Sox in 2024, hitting just .233 with six homers and 34 RBI.