Dominic Smith Bio
Dominic David Rene Smith is an American professional baseball first baseman and left fielder who is currently a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Washington Nationals, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, and San Francisco Giants. He was selected by the Mets with the 11th overall pick of the 2013 MLB draft and made his MLB debut in 2017.
Known for his patient left-handed bat and ability to play both corner positions, Smith spent the bulk of his early big-league career with the Mets before moving through several organizations in pursuit of regular playing time.
Early Life and Background
Dominic David Rene Smith was born on June 15, 1995, and grew up in the Los Angeles area. He participated in Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities and the Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy as a young player, programs that helped shape his early development. He attended Junípero Serra High School in Gardena, California, where he played for the school’s baseball team as a first baseman, outfielder, and pitcher. He led the Cavaliers to the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section division championship in 2013.
Smith comes from a large blended family. His parents, Clay Smith and Yvette LaFleur, have seven children in total, and the two lived separately while raising Dominic. His mother works in child care, and his father is a dog trainer and groomer. Smith grew up a fan of the Los Angeles Angels.
After high school, Smith committed to attend the University of Southern California (USC) before deciding to sign professionally.
Path to Baseball
Smith’s performance at Junípero Serra High School quickly made him one of the most closely watched high school hitters in California. His championship run in 2013 capped a strong amateur resume that included experience in multiple RBI and Urban Youth Academy events. The New York Mets selected him in the first round, with the 11th overall pick, of the 2013 Major League Baseball draft. Rather than attend USC, he signed with the Mets for a $2.6 million signing bonus.
The Mets assigned Smith to the Gulf Coast Mets of the rookie-level Gulf Coast League, where he batted .287 with three home runs and 22 runs batted in (RBIs) in 48 games. He was promoted to the Kingsport Mets of the rookie-level Appalachian League and finished the year ranked by Baseball America as the fourth-best prospect in the GCL for 2013. He spent the entire 2014 season with the Savannah Sand Gnats of the Single-A South Atlantic League.
In 2015, Smith played for the St. Lucie Mets of the High-A Florida State League. After a slow start, he caught fire and was named Florida State League Player of the Year after leading the league with 79 RBIs and 33 doubles while batting .305. In 2016, he moved up to the Binghamton Mets of the Double-A Eastern League, where he posted a .302 average with 14 home runs and 91 RBIs, and played in the 2016 All-Star Futures Game. The Mets sent him to the Las Vegas 51s of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League to open 2017 before promoting him to the majors that August.
Dominic Smith Career
Early Career (2017-2018)
The Mets promoted Smith to the major leagues on August 11, 2017, after Fernando Salas was designated for assignment. He made his debut that night against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, recording a single for his first hit off of Nick Pivetta. He hit his first home run off of Sonny Gray on August 15 and finished the 2017 season batting .198 with nine home runs in 167 at-bats.
Spring training in 2018 brought a competition with Adrián González for the starting first baseman’s job, but a quadriceps injury cost Smith most of camp. He bounced between Las Vegas and New York, posting a .224/.255/.420 line in 143 at-bats. After being diagnosed with sleep apnea during a 2016 sleep study in which he stopped breathing 90 times per hour, Smith resumed using a continuous airway pressure machine in 2019.
New York Mets Breakthrough (2019-2020)
Smith made the 2019 opening day roster and split time between first base and left field in what was described as a breakout season. He landed on the injured list in late July with a stress fracture in his foot and returned on September 29 in the season finale. In his first at-bat back, he hit a three-run walk-off home run off Grant Dayton with the Mets down by two runs, capping a 7-6, 11-inning win over the Atlanta Braves.
The shortened 2020 season produced another strong campaign, as Smith received more playing time after Yoenis Céspedes opted out. He played in 50 of the team’s 60 games, batting .316/.377/.616 with 21 doubles, 10 home runs, and 42 RBIs in 177 at-bats, and his .616 slugging percentage set a franchise record for a single season. He was named a finalist for the Hank Aaron Award, finished 13th in National League Most Valuable Player voting, and was listed by ESPN.com’s Sam Miller as the 25th-most entertaining player in baseball.
New York Mets Decline (2021-2022)
Smith’s production fell sharply in 2021, when he batted .244/.304/.363 with 11 home runs and 48 RBIs in 145 games while playing primarily left field. He later revealed he had played through a partially torn labrum suffered in late May or early June. With the Mets signing Mark Canha and Starling Marte and Pete Alonso entrenched at first base, Smith was largely limited to a bench role in 2022. He batted .194/.276/.284 with zero home runs in 134 at-bats, was demoted to Triple-A Syracuse, and on November 18, 2022, was non-tendered and became a free agent.
Washington Nationals (2023)
On January 4, 2023, Smith signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Washington Nationals. In a career-high 153 games, he batted .254/.326/.366 with 12 home runs and 46 RBIs. The Nationals designated him for assignment in November after adding multiple prospects to the 40-man roster, and he became a free agent on November 17.
Boston Red Sox (2024)
After signing a minor league deal with the Chicago Cubs in February 2024 and a brief stint with the Triple-A Durham Bulls of the Tampa Bay Rays organization, Smith signed a one-year, major league contract with the Boston Red Sox on May 1, 2024. In 83 games for Boston, he batted .237/.317/.390 with six home runs and 34 RBIs. He was designated for assignment after Triston Casas returned from the injured list on August 16 and released on August 20.
Cincinnati Reds (2024)
On August 22, 2024, Smith signed a one-year, major league contract with the Cincinnati Reds. In nine games, he went 5-for-26 (.192) before being designated for assignment on September 2. After clearing waivers, he rejected an outright assignment to Triple-A Louisville and elected free agency on September 5.
New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants (2025)
On January 13, 2025, Smith signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees and later re-signed with the organization on March 30 after an opt-out. In 45 appearances for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, he batted .255/.333/.448 with eight home runs, 28 RBIs, and four stolen bases. He became a free agent on June 1 after triggering an opt-out clause. On June 4, 2025, he signed a one-year, major league contract with the San Francisco Giants.
Driving Style and Strengths
Smith is a left-handed hitter whose profile has long centered on a patient approach at the plate, with the ability to drive the ball to the middle of the field. His versatility between first base and left field has allowed teams to deploy him in multiple roles, and he has shown he can handle corner outfield duties when first base is occupied.
Notable Events and Milestones
Smith’s signature moment came on September 29, 2019, when he hit a three-run walk-off home run off Grant Dayton in the season finale against the Atlanta Braves. His .616 slugging percentage in 2020 set a Mets single-season franchise record, and in 2023 he played a career-high 153 games for the Washington Nationals.
Dominic Smith Career Wins
Smith has not been credited with a major individual batting title at the MLB level, with his most decorated seasons coming in 2019 and 2020 as a Mets regular. His career is best measured by team success, milestones, and individual statistical achievements rather than championship hardware.
MLB Highlights
Smith’s most notable MLB seasons were 2019 and 2020, when he was a regular contributor for the Mets. He set a franchise record with a .616 slugging percentage in the shortened 2020 season, was a Hank Aaron Award finalist, and finished 13th in NL MVP voting. With Washington in 2023, he appeared in a career-high 153 games, batted .254 with 12 home runs, and drove in 46 runs.
Other Wins & Performances
Smith was named Florida State League Player of the Year in 2015 after batting .305 with 79 RBIs and 33 doubles for St. Lucie. He played in the 2016 All-Star Futures Game and was ranked by Baseball America as the fourth-best prospect in the Gulf Coast League following the 2013 season.
Dominic Smith Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Smith is the son of Clay Smith and Yvette LaFleur, and he is one of seven children in a blended family. His parents lived separately while raising him, with his mother working in child care and his father working as a dog trainer and groomer.
Personal Life
In 2017, Smith founded a non-profit called Baseball Generations, which supports player development for financially underprivileged players. He grew up cheering for the Los Angeles Angels and has remained connected to the Los Angeles area where he was raised.
2025 Season Performance
Dominic Smith entered 2025 in search of a fresh opportunity after a busy 2024 that saw him play for the Red Sox and Reds. He signed a minor league deal with the New York Yankees in January and re-signed with the organization in late March after opting out. With the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, he showed encouraging pop, batting .255/.333/.448 with eight home runs, 28 RBIs, and four stolen bases across 45 appearances.
After triggering an opt-out clause in early June, Smith signed a one-year, major league contract with the San Francisco Giants on June 4, 2025. The move gave him another chance to contribute at the highest level as a versatile left-handed bat capable of playing first base and left field.
Looking ahead, Smith’s outlook for the rest of 2025 will depend on playing time and role definition with the Giants. With his track record of producing when given regular at-bats, he remains a candidate to factor into San Francisco’s corner-infield and corner-outfield plans down the stretch.