Braves prospect Smith has two triples, homer in monster day
Much of the focus for the Braves' second Grapefruit League game was on the debut of prospects Dansby Swanson and Ozzie Albies sharing the middle infield for the first time, and for good reason.
This was two of the top three players in the organization, and what is expected to be Atlanta's double-play combination of the future. But it was another member of this heralded farm system that stole the show.
Mallex Smith finished a single shy of the cycle, going 4 for 5 with two triples -- both in the first inning -- a home run, a double and three RBI in Wednesday's 11-4 rout of the Orioles.
In the days before games started, manager Fredi Gonzalez recalled a Braves spring debut by Smith in 2015 where nothing went right.
"I think he called the right fielder off and a ball dropped in," Gonzalez said. "I think he had a bunt and fell down running down the baseline. I think he got picked off twice, then he got thrown out at second on a stolen base. And then someone said, 'Mallex, welcome to the big leagues."
The 22-year-old's first games of this spring have been much more indicative of a player who is 10th in FOXSportsSouth.com's Braves prospect composite rankings
Batting leadoff and starting in in center field -- Smith later moved to left -- he sparked a seven-run outburst with his two triples, the first coming on a liner down the right-field line, while the second was a byproduct of a fly ball that was misjudged by right fielder Mark Trumbo.
That feat had been accomplished just nine times in MLB history during the regular season, and just 58 times has anyone had two three-baggers and a homer in the same game. That last happened Sept. 13, 2015 via the Cubs' Chris Coughlan, and no Brave has done so since Andruw Jones on June 2, 1998.
Smith added his solo homer to straightway center field off Brian Matusz in the fifth and doubled in the seventh. He didn't commit an out until the top of the ninth when he flied out to right field.
The arrival of Ender Inciarte, whom the Brave acquired from the Diamondbacks in the Shelby Miller deal at December's MLB Winter Meetings, created a likely roadblock for Smith's arrival. Like Smith, Inciarte hits first in the order and told FOXSporsSouth.com's Zach Dillard that he came to Atlanta with the intent of playing in center.
Inciarte can play multiple spots, though. He played 98 games in center for Arizona the past two seasons, along with 84 in left and 78 in right. While Smith did see time in left on Wednesday, 319 of his 331 minor league games have come with him in center.
The Braves Minor League Player of the Year last season, Smith hit .306/.373/.386 with 57 stolen bases in 70 attempts last year across Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett.
It's likely Smith will make his major league debut at some time this season, though the timing could be determined by what happens to the Braves other expected starting outfielders, Nick Markakis (right) and Hector Olivera (left).
There have been rumblings that Markakis could shift to left, but the intent of having Olivera -- who has never played in the outfield before -- in that spot was to keep his bat in the lineup while covering up for any defensive inefficencies he showed at third base last season.
Unless the Braves are looking for a shakeup, the idea of Smith arriving may not see him getting consistent playing time with the roster as presently constituted.
But as Wednesday showed, Smith can provide a level of excitement Atlanta hasn't had since Michael Bourn's All-Star season of 2012.
Asked his impressions of Smith, Bourn was succinct: "I know he's fast."
With two triples in one inning, there's no one doubting that.
Follow Cory McCartney on Twitter @coryjmccartney and Facebook. His book, 'Tales from the Atlanta Braves Dugout: A Collection of the Greatest Braves Stories Ever Told,' comes out April 12, 2016.
