“Kenny Lofton” is the name you here from scouts when you talk about Mallex Smith and if that seems a little high, then it’s just because you’ve not been paying attention to the Double-A Mississippi Braves.
venerable scout texted "Mallex Smith" after just one look. Another Padre selloff–21, .418 OBP, 23 steals in AA, comped to Kenny Lofton.
— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) June 20, 2015
When I talked to former Major Leaguer and current Atlanta Braves’ broadcaster Brian Jordan two years ago, he lamented the amount of talent in the Braves’ talent in their farm system. Needless to say, that problem has been fixed and if Smith, who opened the season as the No. 20-ranked prospect, really does have 19 players better than him in the Braves minor league organization, the rest of the league better watch out.
The Braves acquired Smith, along with Dustin Peterson, Max Fied and Jace Peterson from the San Diego Padres in a trade last December for Justin Upton and Aaron Northcraft.
E1: Mike Olt is robbed of an extra-base hit by Mallex Smith in deep LCF to end the 1st.
Braves 1, Smokies 0. #MISvsTNS
— Smokies on Radio (@SmokiesOnRadio) June 20, 2015
Jace Peterson is already holding down second base in Atlanta and Dustin Peterson is also on the Braves’ hot prospect list, but before it’s all over Smith may be the steal of the deal. But, then, that’s his specialty.
Smith led all the minor leagues with 88 steals last season in Low-A and High-A in the Padres’ system. That shouldn’t have come as a surprise to anyone as he’d recorded 64 steals the year before.
“It puts a target on your back, but it’s all good,” Smith told a Macon, Ga. radio station back in spring training. “I just want to find ways to put myself in position to score. They relate speed to a guy slapping the ball around and not necessarily being able to control the bat. I’d much rather be known as a good baseball player, not just a fast guy.”
And that’s exactly what Smith has done since joining the Braves. The 22-year-old out of Tallahassee, Fla. is a Southern League All-Star, batting .340 with an on-base-percentage of .418. His steals are down, but he’s facing a completely different caliber of catcher and pitcher in Double-A than he has previously, but he’s still managed to put a hand on second or third 23 times, which is tied for second in the league heading into the All-Star break behind only the Birmingham Barons’ Jacob May, who has 25.
Despite his incredible speed only 1 of Mallex Smith's 13 career home runs have been inside the park. He will run into one every now and then
— Garrett Spain (@BravesMILB) June 14, 2015
“I know that getting on base makes me a better hitter,” Smith said. “My job is getting on base, so it makes me have more discipline at the plate.”
Smith is not only getting on base and scoring runs, but he’s knocking them in as well, with 22 RBIs to go with five doubles, two triples and two home runs. His slugging percentage is .413.
If you want to compare it to Lofton’s last minor league season, Smith is on pace to nearly match or top all of the six-time MLB All-Star’s numbers. In 1991 with Tucson in Triple-A, Lofton hit .308 with 19 doubles, 17 triples, 50 RBIs and 40 stolen bases.
Prospect Watch
The Mississippi Braves finished the first half in second place in the Southern League South, so they didn’t lock up a postseason spot, but they should be in the driver’s seat in the second half. The Biloxi Shuckers (43-25) took the first half by 9.5 games and if the Braves can win the second half, or finish second to the Shuckers again, they’ll end up in the SLDS.
Shortstop Daniel Castro and outfielder Joey Tedoslavich only spent the first month in Double-A, so they, and their plus .333 batting averages have been gone a while. Smith has picked up the slack along with catcher Chris O’Dowd, who was hitting .304 with 5, doubles, 1 triple, two home runs and 16 RBIs before he got stuck with an 80-game suspension for testing positive for “testosterone metabolites of external origin” on June 10.
Levi Hyans just got the call up from High-A a few weeks ago, but he’s batting .297 already in Double-A. Left fielder K.D. Kang, first baseman Seth Loman and third baseman Kevin Ahrens aren’t lighting up the batting average, but they’re not wasting at-bats with runners on. Ahrens has 24 RBIs and Kang and Loman have 22 apiece.
