Draft : : Top Prospects
50 in 50: Dwight Smith
Published: Friday, May 13, 2011
Dwight Smith, Jr.
OF / McIntosh High School
Bats-Throws:
L-R
Height/Weight:
5-11/185
Hometown:
Peachtree City, Ga.
College Commitment:
Georgia Tech
Birthdate:
October 26, 1992
SCOUTING PROFILE:
Smith is essentially a physically-stronger baseball version of his father,
Dwight, who played eight years in the major leagues with Cubs, Angels, Orioles
and Braves from 1989-96. Dwight Sr.’s career peaked during his rookie year, when
he hit .324-9-52 for the Cubs. He later established himself as a valuable fourth
outfielder and reliable lefthanded bat off the bench. Because he spent his last
two years in the big leagues as primarily a pinch-hitter for the Braves, Smith
and his family remained in the Atlanta area and his son has been a standout in
the nearby East Cobb youth program for the past three years. Dwight Jr. is a
hitting machine with a very advanced ability to square up any type of pitch and
drive it hard to all fields. He has exceptional balance in the batter’s box and
is one of the few hitters at the high-school level in this draft who can line a
breaking ball on the outer half of the plate up the left-center-field gap in one
at-bat and then turn on a high-velocity fastball on the inner half in his next
at-bat. Smith’s performance at the East Coast Pro Showcase last August in
Lakeland, Fla., was one of the most-impressive displays of hitting ever by a
player at that event. He went 7-for-8 in his first two games with a steady dose
of line drives to all fields, before pitchers essentially stopped pitching to
him thereafter, unusual even in a showcase environment. Part of Smith’s appeal
as a hitting prospect is his mature, patient approach, so being pitched around
hardly phases him. Overall, Smith’s raw physical tools do not jump out at
scouts, although they play up to a higher level because of his outstanding
instincts. Smith has fringy-average speed on a straight line, but is an
above-average base runner with his first-step quickness, baseball knowledge and
overall aggressiveness. Scouts may be inclined to evaluate his arm strength as
suited strictly for left field, but he compensates for it with a quick release
and unfailing accuracy, and he should be an asset on defense at any level. He
may even tempt coaches in the future to let him play center field. Smith’s
modest physical tools may keep him out of the first round of this year’s draft,
but he shouldn’t last much beyond that as scouts appreciate his pure baseball
skills as much as any high-school talent in the country.
Projected Draft Position:
Sandwich Round
--DAVID RAWNSLEY
Perfect Game Events Attended
2008 WWBA 2010 Grads or 16u National Championship
2008 WWBA 2011 Grads or 15u National Championship
2008 WWBA Underclass World Championship
2008 National Underclass - Main Event
2009 WWBA PG National Invitational
2009 WWBA 2009 Grads or 18u National Championship
2009 WWBA 2010 Grads or 17u National Championship
2009 17U BCS Finals
2009 Southeast Top Prospect
2009 WWBA World Championship
2009 National Underclass Showcase - Main Event
2010 17u/18u Perfect Game-East Cobb Invitational
2010 National Showcase
2010 WWBA 2010 Grads or 18u National Championship
2010 WWBA 2011 Grads or 17u National Championship
2010 18U BCS Finals
2010 WWBA World Championship
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