Josh Smith: The Perfect Utility Guy

Smith was never viewed as the type to be a major contributor offensively. His value mostly came from what he did on the field, but the improvements he’s made over the past few seasons cannot go unnoticed.

Due to injury and poor performance from his teammates, Smith has gained a bigger chunk of playing time and has made the most of it. Through 84 games he is slashing .277/.354/.416 with eight home runs, nine stolen bases, and a 117 wRC+.

Smith’s production has earned him a chance in the leadoff spot where he’s slashed .273/.345/.434 with a .779 OPS, helping set the table for the Rangers’ offense.

I love this move, as Smith’s plus eye for the zone and 88% in-zone contact rate is the type of profile the Rangers need in front of their power bats. His pitch recognition and whiff rate continue to improve, as he’s cut his strikeout rate by nearly four percent this season.

Another aspect I like about Smith in the leadoff spot is his consistency. He’s been able to avoid long stretches of poor play and instead has provided a nice baseline — something the Rangers have not had from nearly enough of their players. Having a bat that tends to avoid long cold stretches is exactly what you want in a leadoff man.

Of course, Smith does have his shortcomings. Against lefties this season he’s struggled, but a .774 OPS against southpaws last season provide hope that he can bounce back. Power is another part of his come that comes up short. Smith is not going to be a home run hitter, which is fine, but at least he keeps pitchers honest.

Smith knows when to hunt for a pitch to do damage with. Working a count to two or three balls and asking the pitcher to catch more of the zone has been where he finds his power. Smith has enough juice and gets to his pull side often enough to capitalize on mistake pitches.

I think there could be even more power as well. Last season he hit a career-high 13 home runs, and he’s already at eight this season. The exit velocities are about the same, but he’s getting better at taking advantage of mistakes and picking his spots.

The Rangers couldn’t ask for much more offensively considering his limitations. Smith goes out there with a plan: Make the pitcher work and be a difficult out. That has afforded him more fastballs, a pitch type he hits at a .329 clip. Not only is Smith getting better with the bat, he’s also getting smarter.

Swiss Army Knife

The offense from Smith has been welcomed, especially when Marcus Semien and other key contributors have struggled, as he has picked up the slack at the plate. The Rangers only have four players above a 100 wRC+, and Smith is second behind only Corey Seager.

But, it’s been his versatility that has been even more valuable for Texas.

There is still half of the season to go, and Smith has already played every position outside of catcher. Corey Seager’s injury? No problem, Smith slides in. Josh Jung or Jake Burger struggle to the point of demotion? Smith is there to man a corner.

An ability to quite literally play all over has allowed the Rangers to not sink every time an injury occurs. From a lineup construction standpoint, he’s allowed skipper Bruce Bochy to give players a day off without a major drop-off in play, and in some cases that rest has provided a boost.

Smith’s level of versatility has also opened doors for Bochy to go to his best bench bat for pinch hitting situations, regardless of their position played. An outfielder can hit for an infielder, or vice versa, because Smith can then swap positions with said player.

Having a chess piece like this makes the Rangers more flexible and rarely corners them into a subpar lineup situation.

Could the defense be better? Sure, but he’s far from a liability. A mediocre arm paired with below-average range does limit him, but the fact that he’s able to play at least passable, if not average, defense across the board is pretty impressive for any player.

Final Thoughts

Josh Smith is one of those guys that you watch and say, “That’s a damn good ballplayer”. He’s not going to lead the league in any one category, but I’d be willing to bet he’ll string together a long career. Teams are always looking for guys like him to round out a bench or be the utility starter helping to give players days off throughout the week.

The Rangers’ season has not gone as they had hoped. Hovering around .500 with a below-average offense has been disappointing. But just imagine where they would be without Smith. Although Texas is caught somewhere between competing now and aging out a few of their key players, I think Smith has a long future in the Lone Star State.