The Mets selected Dominic Smith in the first round (11th overall) of this June’s MLB Draft. He’s already amongst the Mets top 10 prospects in the eyes of MMN.

Dominic, who turned 18 last month, was born in Los Angeles, California. Growing up he played in the Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy. After that, Smith attended Junipero Serra High School. Before his senior season he was named a Rawlings preseason All-American. He didn’t disappoint, hitting .493 with seven home runs and 38 RBI in just 27 games. Smith also pitched in high school and threw his fastball north of 90 mph.

On the night of the draft, Paul DePodesta told Metsblog.com:

“We’re thrilled that we were able to select Dominic tonight. He’s a guy we have followed since last summer. Our area scout has known him since he 12-years-old. We think we have a very good all-around player, a plus hitter with plus power.”

Smith is a left-hander who can play first base as well as the outfield. The Mets, however, plan to keep him at first. “He’s a special defender at first base,” Tommy Tanous, Mets Director of Amateur Scouting said. “We think that’s one of his pluses.” Offensively, Smith is said to have a picturesque swing from the left side. He’s a good hitter with strong wrists that could eventually lead to plus power. ESPN’s Keith Law called Smith “one of the better hitters in the high school class”. On the base paths, he’s certainly not a burner, but far from your prototypical lumbering first basemen. From a makeup standpoint, Dominic really shines. On draft night, Peter Gammons shared the following info:

One gm says Dominic Smith was the best interview he conducted since Darin Erstad, ’94. Highest praise

— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) June 7, 2013

That’s incredibly high praise for a 17-year old kid coming out of high school.

Patience will be the key with Smith, and although I wasn’t a fan of this pick, favoring University of Nevada pitcher Braden Shipley, it’s hard to argue with the experts. They all seemed to like the pick. My main concern is drafting a player who is basically relegated to first base at such a young age. It’s incredibly difficult to make the majors at first because offensive production needs to be incredibly high. Having Smith’s power develop to the level some scouts think it can will be vital to his future. If everything comes together we could be looking at an All-Star caliber player on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball.