Major League Baseball

Mets Season In Review: Josh Smoker

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 3:22 p.m. ET

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Fansided, Christopher Kaufman/FanSided via Rising Apple

Josh Smoker throws smoke, and is likely to be an important Mets bullpen piece going forward.

He was the first round pick of the Washington Nationals in 2007 and we have seen him in Spring Training before, but he finally made his Major League debut in 2016 with the Mets.

Josh Smoker was kicked around in the Washington organization, never getting above A ball through 2012 before suffering a torn labrum and rotator cuff. That injury would cause him to miss the 2013 season.

The Nats let him go and since Smoker was not picked up by a Major League team, he went to Independent ball in 2014. His fastball velocity came back and the Mets signed him up after that season in Independent ball. He rose through the ranks of the Mets farm system over the last few years before making his Major League debut on August 19, 2016.

Let’s take a look at how he did.

How he fared in 2016In 2016, Smoker appeared in 20 games, including many important spots down the stretch. He’d finish with 3-0 record and 4.70 ERA while striking out 25 in 15.1 innings.Smoker’s Major League debut, 9 years after he was drafted in 2007, occurred on August 19, 2016 against the San Francisco Giants.He gave up 2 runs, 1 earned in a third of an inning in his debut. Including this game he gave up at least a run in 3 of his first 4 appearances. After this, however, he gave up a run in only 2 of his last 16 appearances, many of those in important games down the stretch in the Mets’ pursuit of a Wild Card berth.Smoker’s strikeout numbers were very impressive as well. He struck out 25 batters in only 15.1 innings translating to an impressive 14.7 K/9. His first Major League win came ten days after his debut on August 29th as he pitched a perfect 10th in a Mets 2-1 win against the Marlins. He would add two more to finish the season 3-0 out of the bullpen.Josh had strange lefty/righty split in 2016; the complete opposite of most lefties that come out of the bullpen. Lefties in 25 ABs had a .360 batting average and 1.048 OPS against him and only struck out seven times. His numbers against righties, however, were excellent. In 35 ABs against Smoker, they hit .200 with only a .594 OPS with 18 Ks.Next: Room for improvement?

Areas to improve uponThis one is very obvious. His strikeout numbers were impressive but as a lefty he needs to improve his numbers against lefties going forward.He had outstanding numbers against righties but he’s primary job will always be getting lefties out. His impressive ability to strike out batters will keep him around, but to move into a more important role in the bullpen he will have to be able to get more consistent.With tough lefty hitters throughout the league, most notably Daniel Murphy and Bryce Harper in Washington, this will be important going forward.Next: Where does he fit in next year?

Role for 2017His strikeout numbers were very impressive and he got some big outs for the Mets in 2016. An improvement against lefties will go a long way in determining his role for 2017.It looks like Jerry Blevins will potentially be gone, and he was the best Met against lefties last year. If Smoker can improve against southpaws, the Mets can use him in that role to get important lefties out. If he does this and keeps his numbers against righties pretty good, he can possibly fit into the late inning plans.Not only does this depend on his improvement against lefties, but who the Mets fill the bullpen with from players that are not yet on the roster.Next: Trade rumors? Contract status?

Trade Rumors and Contract StatusAs a rookie last season, Josh Smoker is pretty much under Mets control for the foreseeable future. He’s eligible for arbitration after the 2018 season, and would become a free agent after the 2021 season.Seeing as how he’s still relatively new to the bigs, odds are Smoker stays put with the organization for the time being. Of course, like with any player, things can always change in terms of potential trades. While unlikely, another team could be willing to make Sandy an offer he can’t refuse.If the Mets are unable to lock down another lefty this offseason, it’s likely Smoker makes the roster in 2017. As mentioned previously, if Smoker is able to get lefties out, and keep righties at bay, his 2016 run with the Mets could very well continue for even longer.Next: Josh Smoker Gif Time!More from Rising AppleMets RHP Matt Harvey says he’s ready to get back out there1 h agoMets’ Santa suit curse rivals the Madden cover6h agoMets may not give Familia and Cabrera permission to play winter ball9h agoMets Santa Noah Syndergaard delivers presents to children22h agoMets Season in Review: Jeurys Familia1 d agoThis article originally appeared on

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