Yankees Prospect Report: Second Baseman Josh Smith

Richmond County Bank Ballpark, Staten Island, New York

Steven Branscombe/USA TODAY Sports

With the New York Yankees second-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, they took LSU second baseman Josh Smith. Smith, a junior, had a career year as he led the Tigers to an NCAA Super Regional appearance while hitting .350 with 41 RBI’s during the regular season.

He went to Florida for a week to work out at the New York Yankees minor league facility in Tampa, before being assigned to the Short Season-A Staten Island Yankees. He headed up to New York in late July and immediately made in impact in Staten Island’s lineup. Over his first two weeks, he hit .406 with two home runs.

“I think the SEC (South Eastern Conference) did a pretty good job of preparing (me) for that,” Smith told me in an interview before a game in August. “I’m just happy to live out my dream playing pro baseball with the Yankees… It’s pretty cool to be able to put those pinstripes on even though I’m in short-season right now. It just kind of gives you that hope to one day put on the big league pinstripes, but what comes with that is a lot of work, and I look forward to it.”

Smith finished 2019 with a stellar .324 batting average over 33 games. His season showcased all five tools, and he showed extreme patience at the plate, walking 25 times and only striking out 17 times. His bat could be a valuable tool in an MLB lineup, and he has the potential to be a four or five-tool player in the big leagues. I would expect to see Smith start 2020 with Charleston (A), but don’t be surprised if he is promoted quickly, due to his SEC experience and age of 22.