Toronto Blue Jays 2018 Top Prospects: #26 Kevin Smith

Today, the Jays Journal staff features Blue Jays infielder Kevin Smith as the 26th-best prospect in Toronto’s organization.

Kevin Smith was selected in the fourth round of the 2017 amateur draft. With only one season in the Blue Jays organization, it’s hard to draw conclusions on his level of play. Still, by most accounts, Smith has developed nicely and is living up to the hype that landed him 129th overall in the 2017 draft.

Name: Kevin Smith
Position: SS      Age: 21
Height: 6’1″    Weight: 188 lbs
Throws: Right            Bats: Right
Acquired: 4th round pick 2017 draft

Smith, a shortstop, is expected to remain at his position. When drafted, Smith was heralded for his strong defensive skills, although offense did not go unnoticed. While at the University of Maryland playing for the Maryland Terrapins, Smith broke school records. Before being drafted, he spent time in the Cape Cod League, earning an All-Star game berth with the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox. He also earned the Best Defensive Infielder Award.

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With the Bluefield Blue Jays in 2017, Smith hit .271 with an on-base percentage of .312. Defensively, he committed 14 errors in 303 chances (.954 fielding percentage). Smith’s development as a shortstop in Bluefield was likely hindered by the fact that Logan Warmoth, another Blue Jay prospect on our list, occupied the shortstop position for the Vancouver Canadians, the level above Bluefield.

“A guy like Kevin Smith,” Bluefield manager Dennis Holmberg told the Bluefield Daily Telegraph, “he was a fourth rounder out of Maryland, he could have very easily gone to Vancouver, but they had a shortstop up there from North Carolina that was just ahead of him.”

Next: Blue Jays ink Al Alburquerque to minor league deal

For Smith in 2018, the chance to grow and move up in the Jays’ farm system is there, especially when former Canadians shortstop Warmoth was promoted to the Dunedin Blue Jays for six games at the end of the 2017 season. It’s unlikely to see him move up more than two levels in Toronto’s system, but by 2019 or 2020, Smith could be in consideration as a September call-up.

Top-30 Blue Jays Prospect Rankings:
#30: OF Jonathan Davis    #29: OF Harold Ramirez  #28: OF Joshua Palacios      #27: 1B/OF Ryan Noda