Corey Smith

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #13 prospect in 2004
  Even as a premium high school prospect, Smith's talent was universally acknowledged but no one spoke about him in glowing terms. The trend has continued in his professional career. While Smith clearly has good tools, the Indians are still waiting for him to have a breakthrough season. A first-round pick in 2000 who was considered the organization's top prospect two years later, Smith has seen his stock drop since. He has above-average bat speed and strength, but hasn't translated his raw power into homers. He did cut down on his strikeouts in 2003, but he's still a guess hitter who can be fooled easily. Smith also has a plus arm but is a defensive liability at the hot corner. Poor footwork and uncertain hands have led to him leading his league's third baseman in errors in each of his four pro seasons. He made 44 miscues last year to lead Eastern League third basemen, a year after leading Carolina League third basemen with 34 errors. Smith is an average runner with good instincts on the bases. He worked hard in the Arizona Fall League after the season but still showed the same weaknesses. Smith will return to Double-A in 2004, repeating a level for the first time in his career.
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  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #11 prospect in 2003
  The measure of how much talent Cleveland has added is reflected by the fact that Smith was the organization's top prospect a year ago but fell out of the top 10 after a decent season in high Class A. He started 2002 quickly, batting .308 in April, but hit just .241 afterward. Smith shows tremendous explosiveness at the plate and in the field. He generates terrific bat speed and has the ability to drive the ball. He projects to hit for a decent average with lots of doubles and homers. At third base, he shows good range and plenty of arm. The Indians like his hard-nose attitude. He has made progress drawing walks, but Smith still strikes out too much. He needs to refine his two-strike approach. Smith also led Carolina League third basemen with 34 errors because he gets too aggressive and makes poor throws. He just needs to relax defensively. Third base is the most unsettled position on the big league club, but Smith won't be rushed. He'll start the 2003 season in Double-A and probably won't be ready for Cleveland until 2005.
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  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #1 prospect in 2002
  The Indians traditionally have avoided drafting high school infielders in the first round, doing so just twice in the last 20 years. They took Mark Lewis in 1988 and Smith in 2000. The muscular Smith was a shortstop in high school, but the Indians wasted no time in moving him to third base, where they feel his size and power potential make him a more natural fit. In Smith's two years as a pro, the transition to third base has gone much better offensively than defensively. Club officials downplay his struggles with the glove, partly because his upside with the bat is so vast. Smith gets rave reviews for his makeup and work ethic. He is, plain and simple, a baseball player. A throwback. He loves the game and works hard to improve his weaknesses. He's intelligent and has tremendous athletic ability as well as an aptitude for learning. He has excellent bat speed that should produce even more power than he already has shown. Smith has yet to hit for a high average but that may come as well. He seems to rise to the occasion offensively and is a very tough out with men on base. Despite his obvious physical gifts, his biggest strength may be his passion. He's a potential franchise cornerstone once he reaches the big leagues. Smith needs to work on his strike-zone discipline, but the most obvious flaw in his game is his defense. In 187 games as a pro, he has made 77 errors--45 at low Class A Columbus in 2001--most of them on poor throws. Smith has arm strength but lacks consistent mechanics. He made major strides in that area during instructional leagues. Smith tends to try to do too much defensively, which also has contributed to his third-base difficulties. Except for the errors, the position switch has gone better than expected. His speed is below-average but he's not a baseclogger. Until Cleveland got Alex Escobar in the Roberto Alomar trade, Smith was by far the organization's best position-player prospect and he still ranks as No. 1. He won't be rushed despite the lack of bats ahead of him. At age 20, he'll start this season at high Class A Kinston. He probably won't arrive in the big leagues before late 2004.
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  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #3 prospect in 2001
  The first high school infielder selected by the Indians in the first round since Mark Lewis in 1988, Smith signed for $1.375 million. A shortstop in high school, he immediately converted to third base, where the reviews were better than his numbers. Smith made 32 errors in 57 games, but club officials maintain his transition is going fine. He projects as a four-tool third baseman. He's athletic, has good power and should hit for average as well. Though he was shaky defensively in his professional debut, he shows a plus arm and has great first-step reactions. He has a tremendous work ethic, listens and applies what he's taught. Smith is a below-average runner. Though he has a strong arm, it's not especially accurate right now. His swing tends to get long on pitches up in the strike zone. But there's nothing that can't be fixed by more experience. His high error total is attributed to youthful aggressiveness. Smith will start his first full pro season at Class A Columbus. If his bat develops as expected, he could be ready for the majors in three years.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Carolina League #7 prospect in 2002
  As was the case at Smith's first two stops in the Cleveland system, he wowed managers with more than just tools. He continued to show raw power and a strong throwing arm, while his work ethic continued to earn praise. "The thing that impressed me was his maturity," Cole said. "Being at third base every game as a coach, I got to talk to him a lot. He has the mentality that he wants to improve." Smith does have plenty of room for improvement. He batted .350 in the season's first three weeks before pitchers adjusted and held him to a .235 average the rest of the way. He finished third in the CL with 141 strikeouts. He has better reactions and range at third base than he did a year ago. He also cut his errors from 45 in low Class A to 33 this year, but still has more work to do.
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  Ranked South Atlantic League #6 prospect in 2001
  Like Johnson, Smith is a 2000 first-rounder who excelled as an offensive player at 19 but had big problems on defense. He tied Johnson with 45 errors, though the Indians like the progress Smith has made since his days as a high school shortstop. He's a somewhat raw package of size, strength, power and speed with all-star upside. "He showed me a little bit of everything," Legg said. "He's a good athlete at third base and potentially a great hitter who has power." Smith has power to all fields. He didn't wear down in his first full pro season and has good speed, particularly for his build. He'll need to cut down on his strikeouts and eliminate something in a swing that's too stiff at times.
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  Ranked American League #3 prospect in 2000
  Smith showed drastic improvement, both offensively and defensively, as the season progressed. In June he often looked uncomfortable at third, showing little range. By August, his athleticism took over and he made numerous impressive plays. Many of his errors came on throws, though he owns a strong arm and has all the tools to become a good defender. Smith hit the ball as hard as anyone in the league, and when his approach at the plate develops even further, he’ll be a major power threat. He also runs well and is a potential five-tool infielder. "He has big league makeup already," Burlington manager Dave Turgeon said. "He plays the game as hard as anyone on the team. He's going to be a leader."

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #73 prospect in 2002

• December, 1999 Scouting Report
  Smith showed drastic improvement, both offensively and defensively, as the season progressed. In June he often looked uncomfortable at third, showing little range. By August, his athleticism took over and he made numerous impressive plays. Many of his errors came on throws, though he owns a strong arm and has all the tools to become a good defender. Smith hit the ball as hard as anyone in the league, and when his approach at the plate develops even further, he’ll be a major power threat. He also runs well and is a potential five-tool infielder. "He has big league makeup already," Burlington manager Dave Turgeon said. "He plays the game as hard as anyone on the team. He's going to be a leader."