Struggling Smith still searching for hitting stroke

The low point of an April that hasn’t gone according to plan for Dominic Smith came in the bottom of the third Tuesday night at Nationals Park.

Standing at the plate with one out and runners on second and third, with a chance to drive in at least one – if not two – teammates and give starter Josiah Gray some desperately needed run support, Smith saw three pitches from Orioles right-hander Dean Kremer.

The first was a 97-mph sinker that sat right over the plate, belt-high. Smith swung and missed. The second was a four-seam fastball, also 97 mph, this one at the letters. Smith swung and missed. The third was another 97 mph, four-seam fastball, this one well above the strike zone. Smith swung and missed.

It was perhaps the worst moment in a failed rally that featured too many frustrating moments to keep track of. And it loomed large at night’s end when the Nationals were trudging off the field having suffered a 1-0 loss to Baltimore.

“You’ve just got to try to do what you can to get the job done,” Smith said afterward. “We haven’t been able to do it as often as we like. We just have to keep working, keep battling, keep grinding and the ball will bounce our way.”

It hasn’t happened so far for Smith, who in 15 games has yet to produce an extra-base hit. He’s batting .233 (14-for-60) with four RBIs. But most troubling is the fact his slugging percentage is identical to his batting average, the ultimate confirmation of a lack of power.

“I feel OK. Not too great, obviously,” he said. “But you’ve got to keep grinding, keep grinding every day. Come in early, get your work in. That’s what I’ve been doing. I’ve just got to keep that same hunger, that same work (ethic) and everything will turn around.”

The Nationals were banking on a return to form from Smith, who was let go by the Mets after batting just .194 with zero homers, 17 RBIs and a .560 OPS in 152 plate appearances last season. Only two years earlier, he finished 13th in National League MVP balloting, hitting a robust .316 with 21 doubles, 10 homers, 42 RBIs and a .993 OPS in the pandemic-shortened season.

So far, the 27-year-old hasn’t been able to find that old hitting stroke. Manager Davey Martinez believes there are some mechanical changes that could help, noting Smith tends to lean over the plate, which doesn’t allow him to produce his best swing. By holding back his left hip and standing more upright, Smith might have a better chance and more consistent hard contact.

“Dom is working a little bit uphill right now,” Martinez said. “We’re trying to get him a little bit flatter. I thought toward the end, he started fouling some balls off and his swing was getting better. But we’ve got to get him on plane, a little bit more out front.”

Smith is hardly alone in struggling to produce to the extent the Nationals were hoping when the season began. Joey Meneses also has yet to homer and sports a paltry .552 OPS. Keibert Ruiz (.614) and CJ Abrams (.644) have underperformed to date as well.

“Hey, he’s a good hitter,” Martinez said. “He knows how to get his hits when he needs to. But we need him and Joey to start driving the ball for us. That’ll come. We just have to continue to work with them.”

Smith appreciates the show of confidence from his manager, especially when the results haven’t necessarily warranted that kind of support.

“He knows I can do damage up there,” Smith said. “I know I can do damage up there. I’ve just got to keep grinding, keep working, to get us some good at-bats. It’s a long year. We’ve got to keep grinding, and we’ll get it turned around.”