Armani Smith, OF
DOB: 7/19/1998
BATS: R / THROWS: R
ACQUIRED: Drafted 2019, 7th Round
LAST LEVEL: High-A
VOLATILITY: Very High
STATS
GiantFutures 2022 Ranks: #5 Corner Outfielder
Performance: Armani Smith started the season in San Jose, near his childhood home in the east bay, with some of the system’s top prospects, and spent his first 13 games outshining them, which was interrupted by nearly 3 weeks of injury. He came back, kept hitting in San Jose, and got a mid-June promotion to Eugene.
With the Emeralds, Smith was more hot and cold, and he finished with more mixed results, batting .279/.351/.442 with 14 doubles, a pair of triples and eight home runs. He put together a decent all-around offensive profile, with no one skill standing out, but solid contact, drawing of walks, hitting for power, and a little speed on the basepaths with six steals on seven attempts.
Strengths and Weaknesses: Smith has a well-rounded set of skills, but his power can stand out, as early scouting reports that his power could be up to an 80 on the scouting scale, but he hasn’t been able to tap into it in games that way yet. He had a reputation for not striking out often in UC Santa Barbara, but he did strike out a bit more as a pro.
Defensively, Smith has a strong build but not a lot of speed to have great range, so he’s limited to the corners, and if he makes it to San Francisco, probably left field with an average arm.
2022 Outlook: Smith would appear to be a lock to head to Double-A, where he’ll face a stadium and a league that suppresses power as Smith tries to lock further into his.
Future Profile: It’s all about Smith’s power. If it comes in and he can hit 25 home runs a season, Smith will fit in as a classic slugger in left field. If not, he could end up as a 4th outfielder with a power profile off the bench.
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