Dominic Smith’s success is a reminder of why we love baseball

There’s a reason for the myriad cliches in baseball. The beautiful sport invites the unexpected. It makes the unbelievable routine. And it’s full of feel-good stories that add to the mystique.

Dominic Smith is just another reason to romanticize baseball. Smith went from an unnoted, non-roster invitee to the Braves’ best — and most clutch — hitter. His game-winning double Tuesday against the Marlins was just another addition to the list.

“It’s been a whirlwind ever since I signed with the Braves,” Smith said Tuesday.

He joined the team over a week into spring training when there didn’t appear to be a spot for him. Now, the Braves hold pole position in the National League East largely thanks to the stunning Smith, who’s on pace to deliver a winning hit once every homestand.

Smith’s first spectacle came with a walk-off grand slam in his team debut earlier this month. He later revealed he’d lost his mother to cancer weeks earlier, adding to the swing’s emotional weight. The fan base gave Smith an ovation when he next took the field. He’s become a favorite since.

His encore came Tuesday, when Smith cleared the bases with a three-run double off Pete Fairbanks with two out in the bottom of the eighth. The Braves, trailing all night, flipped a 5-3 deficit into a 6-5 win.

“How about Dom Smith?” manager Walt Weiss said. “He’s turned into a great story. He already was, but it keeps getting better. It couldn’t happen to a better guy, so happy for him.”

Weiss had always admired Smith from afar. He spent his first seven seasons in the NL East, which exposed him to the Braves often, but Smith graduated high school the same year as Weiss’ son Brody. They played in national showcases together, so Weiss’ fondness for Smith traces back to his amateur days.

He’s even fonder of Smith now. Weiss’ team is 11-8 with two victories via Smith’s heroics.

This was a player deemed unworthy of a major league deal two months ago. He’s now hitting .395 with a 1.099 OPS in 38 at-bats. It’s dangerous to seek Baseball Savant’s wisdom so early in the year, but it endorses Smith’s success. He’s done damage after falling behind 0-2, as well, as he did Tuesday against the electric Fairbanks.

These are mind-boggling results for somebody who likely wouldn’t have made the team’s initial roster if not for Jurickson Profar’s second failed performance-enhancing drug test.

It turns out the Braves were better off without Profar anyway. Smith has seized the moment.

“I hold myself to a pretty high standard, so to me — and I know this might sound crazy — but as an athlete, you have to kind of be delusional, in a sense,” Smith said. “And believe in yourself in a way where people might not believe in you. That’s why the best athletes are the best athletes.

“To me, I think this has always been inside of me. Has it come out every year? No. I understand that. I could’ve been hurt, could’ve been dealt with things emotionally, mentally, whatever the case may be. But I’ve always known that I can do this at this level. So this is nothing that I’m shocked or in awe about. I know that I’m a good ballplayer and I’m looking forward to doing this every day.”

Perhaps Smith will be the latest Braves journeyman success story. The best teams need players who outproduce their projections. And since the Braves’ rebirth in 2018, they’ve maximized lines of veterans in limited roles. The best example was the 2021 championship season, when a retooled outfield led the team to the World Series.

“It’s been like that for a long time,” said Weiss, who was bench coach on these past Braves teams. “It seems like, for the most part, you get the best version of players when they show up here, pitchers and hitters. We have a great culture. The guys who are new to this team and this culture, they rave about it. Some guys who’ve been several other places.