Smith starts anew with Nats: 'I'm at peace'

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- One doesn’t hear any bitterness from Nationals first baseman Dominic Smith when he talks about the Mets, the team he played for from 2017-22.

The way Smith looks at it, he is grateful for the opportunities the Mets gave him. Who can forget the 2020 season? He was one of the team’s best players, hitting a career-high .316 with 10 home runs and 42 RBIs in the shortened season.

“The Mets blessed me with the opportunity of calling me up and letting me live out my childhood dream,” Smith said. “I’m extremely grateful for that opportunity.”

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In fact, Smith is quick to say that the Mets have a powerful team that will be tough to beat in 2023. He still has a lot of friends on the team and couldn’t wait to face them, which happened on Monday night at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. Smith faced the Mets for the second time this spring and went 1-for-4 with an RBI in the Nats’ 3-2 victory.

“They have a talented squad over there,” Smith said about the Mets. “I love competing against those guys. They have a great manager [Buck Showalter] over there and a great owner [Steve Cohen], an owner who likes to spend and likes to win. So it’s going to be fun competing against those guys.

“They have some of the best players in the game, especially those guys at the head of the rotation -- [Max] Scherzer, [Justin] Verlander and [Kodai] Senga. We could go on and on and talk about the talent they have. Those are my guys.”

The Mets didn’t have any room for Smith on their roster this year because Pete Alonso is expected to be the starting first baseman for the next decade, and the team concluded that Smith is not a corner outfielder. During Smith’s time in New York, the Mets used Smith in left field, and he is the first to say that his best position is at first base, a position he will play for Washington after signing a one-year, $2 million deal in January.

The days of playing left field are over.

Last year was a season to forget for Smith. He had a slash line of .194/.276/.284 in 58 games and spent some time with Triple-A Syracuse. Injuries and a lack of opportunity also played a role in his disappointing season. But 2022 wasn’t a total loss. He was able to help some of the Minor Leaguers at Syracuse. He loved sharing the knowledge.

“For me, if I go through anything in life, I look at the problem face to face, really try to assess the situation truthfully and honestly,” Smith said “From there, I just work on it. And I think that’s why I’m at peace. You didn’t see me go down to Triple-A and sulk, be upset.

“I tried to mentor those young guys. You had Francisco Álvarez down there, you had Brett Baty. So I just wanted to share my knowledge with those guys, help them understand what it takes to be a big leaguer. What kind of routine do you need on an everyday basis? It’s tough. It’s different. The big leagues are different. It’s an All-Star Game every day. They're the best players in the world.”

Smith is now in Washington, and he is expecting a big year in '23 -- in part because defensive shifts have been restricted by Major League Baseball. His goals are high -- 25 to 30 home runs and possibly reach the century mark in RBIs for the first time. He also believes that he is capable of hitting between .280 to .300.

“I just have to tap it, go out, work hard and do it,” Smith said. “The opportunity is here to go do it. It’s just up to me to go out, play hard and handle it.”

In his short time with the Nationals, Smith has been a positive influence.

“He is everything we thought he would be, especially in our clubhouse,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “He is very vocal. He has taken the young kids under his wing, and he can play some first base. He doesn’t get a whole lot of credit for his defense. He is really good over there. We feel he is going to bounce back with the bat. We are excited about it.”

Smith is not concerned only about his personal numbers. He wants the Nationals to play at a high level. Doing the little things will help improve the team, he said.

“People are calling us a rebuild,” Smith said. “We talk about it in-house. We think about it as a reboot. We have some young talented pieces, guys in the Minor Leagues we think will contribute. If we just put the pieces together, we can grow as a team. We will be where we want to be.”