Dominic David Rene Smith (born June 15, 1995), is an American professional baseball first baseman and left fielder for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the New York Mets, Washington Nationals, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, and San Francisco Giants. He was selected by the Mets with the 11th overall pick of the 2013 MLB draft, and made his MLB debut in 2017.
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Early life
Smith participated in Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities and the Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy in his youth. He attended Junípero Serra High School in Gardena, California, and played for the school's baseball team as a first baseman, outfielder, and pitcher. He led the Cavaliers to the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section division championship in 2013.
Smith committed to attend the University of Southern California (USC).
Professional career
New York Mets
The Mets selected Smith in the first round, with the eleventh overall selection, of the 2013 Major League Baseball draft. Rather than attend USC, he signed with the Mets for a $2.6 million signing bonus. The Mets assigned Smith to the Gulf Coast Mets of the rookie–level Gulf Coast League (GCL), where he batted .287 with three home runs and 22 runs batted in (RBIs) in 48 games. He was subsequently promoted to the Kingsport Mets of the rookie-level Appalachian League, where he recorded four doubles in six at bats. At season's end, Baseball America named Smith as the 4th best prospect in the GCL for 2013. He spent the entire 2014 season with the Savannah Sand Gnats of the Single–A South Atlantic League. With just one home run, 44 RBIs and 77 strikeouts in 461 at bats, Smith fell way short of expectations.
Smith got off to a slow start with the St. Lucie Mets of the High–A Florida State League (FSL) in 2015. He batted .143 with one double in his first sixteen games, and was 0-for-22 to start May. On May 12, Smith got his first extra base hit since Opening Day with a double against the Tampa Yankees. The 3-for-5 performance signaled a turn around for Smith, who compiled a sixteen-game hitting streak to raise his batting average to .260. For the month of June, Smith batted .352 with a FSL-leading 38 hits and 51 total bases. He also had the second most RBIs (20) and fifth most runs scored (15) to earn FSL Player of the Month honors. The hot hitting continued; Smith ended the season with a .305/.354/.417 slashline, and a career high six home runs. He led the league with 79 RBIs and 33 doubles on his way to being named FSL Player of the Year. After the season, he played for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League.
In 2016, Smith played for the Binghamton Mets of the Double–A Eastern League, where he posted a .302 batting average with 14 home runs and 91 RBIs. He played in the 2016 All-Star Futures Game. The Mets assigned Smith to the Las Vegas 51s of the Triple–A Pacific Coast League to start the 2017 season.
The Mets promoted Smith to the major leagues on August 11, 2017, after Fernando Salas was designated for assignment. He made his debut that night against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, recording a single for his first hit, off of Nick Pivetta. Smith hit his first home run off of Sonny Gray on August 15. He ended the 2017 season with a .198 batting average and nine home runs in 167 at bats for the Mets.
Washington Nationals
On January 4, 2023, Smith signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Washington Nationals. In a career–high 153 games for Washington, he batted .254/.326/.366 with 12 home runs (a career-high) and 46 RBI. On November 14, Smith was designated for assignment after multiple prospects were added to the 40-man roster. He was non-tendered and became a free agent on November 17.
2024 season
On February 19, 2024, Smith signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs. On March 22, Smith was released by the Cubs after triggering the opt–out clause in his contract.
On March 30, 2024, Smith signed a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays. In 21 games for the Triple–A Durham Bulls, he batted .263/.337/.375 with two home runs and 11 RBI. Smith was released by the Rays on May 1 after he triggered the opt–out clause in his contract.
On May 1, 2024, Smith signed a one–year, major league contract with the Boston Red Sox. In 83 games for Boston, he batted .237/.317/.390 with six home runs and 34 RBI. Smith was designated for assignment by the Red Sox after Triston Casas returned from the injured list on August 16. He was released on August 20.
On August 22, 2024, Smith signed a one-year, major league contract with the Cincinnati Reds. In 9 games for Cincinnati, he went 5–for–26 (.192). Smith was designated for assignment by the Reds on September 2. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to the Triple–A Louisville Bats the next day. Smith rejected the assignment in lieu of free agency on September 5.
New York Yankees
On January 13, 2025, Smith signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees. On March 21, Smith opted out of his contract after failing to make the Yankees' Opening Day roster. On March 30, he re-signed with the Yankees on a new minor league contract. In 45 appearances for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Smith batted .255/.333/.448 with eight home runs, 28 RBI, and four stolen bases. On June 1, Smith became a free agent after triggering the opt-out clause in his minor league contract.
San Francisco Giants
On June 4, 2025, Smith signed a one-year, major league contract with the San Francisco Giants. Smith made 63 appearances for San Francisco, batting .284/.333/.417 with five home runs, 33 RBI, and two stolen bases.
Atlanta Braves
On February 17, 2026, Smith signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves. On March 21, the Braves signed him to a split major league contract. In his Braves debut on March 28, Smith hit a walk-off grand slam against the Kansas City Royals.
Personal life
Smith's parents, Clay Smith and Yvette LaFleur, have seven children total. They lived separately while raising Dominic. His mother worked in child care and his father is a dog trainer and groomer. Smith grew up a Los Angeles Angels fan. LaFleur died of cancer on March 15, 2026.
In 2017, Smith founded a non-profit, Baseball Generations, which supports player development for financially underprivileged players.