The New York Mets took a swing when they selected a high schooler No. 11 overall in the 2013 MLB Draft.
In the past, elite players have decided to skip college baseball and have become some of the best in the league.
The Mets were hoping that would also be the case with Dominic Smith.
After four years in the minors, he made his Major League debut in 2017, appearing in 49 games. He continued to split time between the minors and MLB in 2018 before making the Opening Day roster in 2019.
This was his breakout year as he slashed .282/.355/.525 with 11 home runs, 25 RBI and an OPS+ of 132. However, a stress fracture in his foot limited him to only 89 games.
Still, it looked like New York was finally reaping the benefit of taking Smith with their 11th overall pick.
The COVID-shortened 2020 season gave more fuel to that fire as he produced his best year in the MLB, slashing .316/.377/.616 with an OPS+ of 168, 10 homers and 42 RBI, while finishing 15th in National League MVP voting.
But he completely fell off a cliff in 2021, posting an OPS+ of 83, marking the beginning of the end for his tenure with the Mets.
Smith only appeared in 58 games with New York as he was sent down to Triple-A during the year.
After his contract was declined, he signed a one-year deal with the Washington Nationals looking to get his career back on track, but failed to produce consistent performances.
Now, the former Met has agreed to a minor league deal with the Chicago Cubs according to Robert Murray of FanSided.
His time in New York was certainly rocky, but he flashed some top-end potential that showed he can be a contributor in limited spots.
That could come in 2024 with the Cubs if he's able to turn around his offensive performance and prove he can be a full-time Major League player.
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