As Spring Training came down to its final days last month and Kevin Smith showed no signs of slowing down from his tear at the plate, the A’s knew they had a difficult decision on their hands.
“Kevin’s done a great job,” manager Mark Kotsay said during the final week of Spring Training. “He built off last September. He’s one of those that we’ll probably wait until the end to make a choice.”
Despite hitting .395 (17-for-43) with a 1.074 OPS in 21 Cactus League games, Smith was left off Oakland’s Opening Day roster and began the season at Triple-A Las Vegas. His spring success has carried over, as Smith entered Sunday with five homers and a 1.215 OPS through seven games with the Aviators.
Smith's next step will likely be the Majors. Sources said he'll join the A's for a series in Baltimore beginning Monday, with left fielder Seth Brown headed to the injured list with an oblique injury.
One of the prospects acquired from the Blue Jays in exchange for Matt Chapman during Spring Training 2022, Smith admitted that things sped up on him after joining the A’s. Though he made their Opening Day roster in ‘22, the infielder got off to a slow start, hitting .180 through 47 games, and was optioned to Triple-A on June 13.
Though Las Vegas is generally regarded as a hitters’ paradise, Smith’s offensive struggles continued. About a month into the demotion, however, something changed.
After hitting .188 with the Aviators in his first 29 games, Smith flipped a switch. Over his final 55 games, he slashed .316/.376/.585 with 13 homers, 12 doubles and 40 RBIs.
So what changed?
“I just started to feel more comfortable,” Smith said. “Started to know the guys. Getting traded over here two weeks before the season and going to my first Opening Day trying to get situated on this side of the country, it was just kind of a whirlwind. You’re just trying to stay above water and do the best you can. To go down there and relax and get the confidence back, feel comfortable around the guys, that definitely helped.”
Also helping Smith break out was a notebook that he kept at his locker. He journaled every day, which he said helped him discover a routine that allowed him to remain consistent at the plate. He plans to continue doing so.
“Certain days, I just write down so the next day when I come in, I know what I was feeling,” Smith said. “Whether it was a good day or a bad day. Some of the bad days are my most important entries of what I was feeling or doing or what it felt like that day and how I got out of it. I have all those from last year that really helped me stay committed and controlled.”
Triple-A Las Vegas
Tyler Soderstrom, Oakland’s No. 1 prospect and MLB’s No. 36 per MLB Pipeline, entered Sunday hitting .345 with a 1.099 OPS through seven games. His first week of the season was highlighted by a mammoth solo shot on April 2, tagged 113.5 mph off the bat and sent a Statcast-projected 466 feet.
Double-A Midland
A’s No. 4 prospect Mason Miller showed off his electric fastball in his 2023 debut on Friday night, racking up eight strikeouts and not allowing a walk over 3 2/3 innings. His two runs allowed came on a pair of solo home runs.