Rising Smoak: 2008 first rounder's numbers climb
Any concerns about Smoak being able to hit higher-level pitching have been alleviated.
By Smoak.
After a slow start in Triple-A, the RedHawks first baseman has hit .299 with 16 RBIs over the last 26 games.
"I just got comfortable. I was a little giddy when I first got here, trying to do too much," Smoak said. "Now I'm just feeling more comfortable and trying to put the ball in play instead of trying to hit every ball out of the park. That's basically it."
Plus a few adjustments in his approach at the plate.
"I've made a few minor changes," Smoak said. "I was jumping at balls too much. I'm just trying to stay behind the ball and let the ball come to me."
The Goose Creek, S.C., native was the Rangers' first pick, and the 11th pick overall, in last year's amateur draft. He started every game for three years at the University of South Carolina, where he set the school's career records for home runs and runs batted in.
The 22-year-old switch-hitter was promoted to Oklahoma City from Double-A Frisco on the 4th of July. He came here with a career batting of .335 in the pros, with 11 homers and 40 RBIs in 65 games.
But he got off to an awful start with the RedHawks, going through 0-for-19 and 1-for-20 slumps that dipped his batting average to .133 on July 22.
"My confidence has never wavered," Smoak said. "I've been through so much before, and I know it's just a part of the game. You've just got to keep going after it every day and keep giving your best."
And slow starts have become typical for Smoak as a pro. Last year he started 3-for-18, then hit .359 the rest of the season. This year in Double-A he started 3-for-17, then hit .345 to earn his trip trip to Triple-A.
"It's baseball and it's one of those things," Smoak said, "because you don't play 144 or 162 games for nothing. I mean, it's a long season, so you've just got to keep grinding it out and hope for the best."
Smoak cites manager RedHawks manager Bobby Jones and coach Mike Coolbaugh and Rangers minor league hitting intructor Mike Boulanger for helping him make adjustments in Triple-A.
"It's basically a little bit of everybody helping me and just working on little things and trying to get better every day," Smoak said.
"I think when I first got here that I was seeing the same stuff that I was seeing in Double-A. It was just that these guys locate their off-speed stuff a little better here. But same stuff, same game. You've just got to go out and play and hopefully get through things to where everything will be all right."
Smoak figures to be one of the Rangers' September callups, after just one full season of pro ball.
"That's always what you want," he said, "but this is my first year and I can't really put expectations on anything. I just need to go out and play and see what happens."