Pinch-hit hero Smith still proving worth to Mets

MINNEAPOLIS -- While the Mets have made it clear they have little interest in trading assets under team control beyond this season, perhaps Dominic Smith is an exception. Smith, a first baseman, is blocked at his natural position by Pete Alonso. Even though he’s acquitted himself just fine to the outfield, the Mets feature a fair bit of depth there heading into 2020.

So as long as Smith continues to rake, the Mets will have little option but to listen to offers for a one-time first-round draft pick who’s still just 24 years old. Coming off the bench on Wednesday, Smith hit a go-ahead, pinch-hit, three-run homer in the seventh inning to lead the Mets to a 14-4 rout of the Twins, as well as a two-game series sweep at Target Field and the club’s fourth win in a row.

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“Having Dom come off the bench is a valuable thing,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said. “That was good to see. That got things where we needed them to be.”

The Mets were trailing by a run when they put their first two men on base in the seventh. A Jeff McNeil pop-up for the first out brought J.D. Davis to the plate, prompting Callaway to replace Davis with his left-handed complement, Smith. The latter responded with his ninth home run, a three-run shot that struck a flowerbed in right before ricocheting back onto the field.

“Off the bat, it felt good,” Smith said. “It felt really good. Luckily, it went out.”

An inning later, Alonso put things out of reach with a two-run blast, his 31st, that traveled a projected 474 feet. That home run, which keyed a six-run eighth, was the longest by a Met since Statcast began tracking in 2015.

It was, however, less significant than Smith’s hit, which transformed a potential loss into a breezy victory. Playing mostly left field and coming off the bench in recent weeks, Smith has increased his batting line to .294/.376/.536 in 81 games, making him one of the Mets’ more productive players despite inconsistent playing time. His ability to play left field is useful to the Mets now, but potentially less so next year, with Brandon Nimmo back from injury. A first-round pick in 2013, Smith could be attractive to contenders such as the Red Sox or Rockies, potentially fetching the Mets a useful piece in return.

Or, potentially not. The Mets, for all their talk of selling off assets, exited Target Field on Wednesday just five games out of a National League Wild Card spot ahead of the night games. Take that with a sizeable grain of salt: they sat ahead of only two National League teams, making a climb up the standings a more difficult task. But Callaway has pounded home the message that the Mets are in contention, and there’s little doubt, at this point, that they’re a better team with Smith on the roster.

“I can only control what I can go out there and do, and that’s go play this game every day,” Smith said. “I love New York and I only want to play for the Mets. This is all I know. This is home for me and my family. I love it here, and I’m just trying to establish myself and just get better every day. Whatever happens, happens. It’s out of my control. I just know that right now, I play for the Mets. I just want to continue to grind, and help this team win games.”