From MiLB.com:
Mallex Smith, acquired from San Diego in the Justin Upton trade over the winter, got some high praise during Spring Training with the Atlanta Braves.
Hitting coach Kevin Seitzer likened the young center fielder to former Major League standout Kenny Lofton after seeing him lay down some bunts, and Braves director of baseball operations John Hart seconded that thought. As lofty as those comparisons were, though, it may have shortchanged Smith a little in the speed department. Asked to compare the now 22-year-old Mississippi Braves player to the top Major League speedsters of today, Fredi Gonzalez put him at or near the top.
"Oh, it's right up there," the Braves manager said of the*organization's No. 15 prospect. "Billy Hamilton-type speed, maybe just a tad below. I was really impressed. His speed is there with Hamilton, Dee Gordon."
Smith, who led the Minors with 88 stolen bases last year in Class A, has had to go through a bit of a learning curve on the bases in Double-A. That doesn't mean, though, that his speed isn't paying off. Taking advantage of the bunting ability that impressed Seitzer and Hart, Smith went into Memorial Day leading the Southern League with a .348 batting average.
"I lay down at least one bunt every series," the left-handed batter said. "It works two ways. It's hard to throw me out, so they have to play in. Then when they do, I can hit it by them."
Smith, who took over the Southern League batting lead by going 9-for-15 in a five-game stretch, has only seven extra-base hits, but a single or walk can quickly turn into much more. His on-base percentage was .395 and he had scored 23 runs and driven in 16. Maybe too eager to match last season's steals total, Smith in the first four weeks of the season was picked off six times -- twice on Opening Night. Catchers, though, have caught him stealing just twice in 17 attempts. He is 8-for-10 on steals of second base and 7-for-7 going to third.
"I'm getting back in the groove now," said Smith, who had seven stolen bases in his past five games. "The pickoffs affected me for a while. I lost my confidence a little bit, but now it's back."
Confidence is something in which the 5-foo-9 native of Tallahassee, Florida, isn't usually lacking. A defensive back in high school, Smith once thought his future was in football. But the college offers he had hoped for didn't materialize, and he headed to Santa Fe Community College to play baseball.
"I didn't choose baseball -- baseball chose me," said Smith, who was taken in the fifth round of the 2012 Draft by the Padres after stealing 37 bases as a freshman and was given an over-slot bonus of $375,000.
Smith hit a combined .310 last season for Class A Fort Wayne and Class A Advanced Lancaster while running wild on the bases, then hit .305 in the Arizona Fall League. The Braves loved his speed and made sure he was included as part of the Upton deal.
"To be traded by the Padres was a surprise," he said. "But I grew up a Braves fan, and the more I thought about everything, it seemed like a good opportunity."
Smith was 4-for-11 with a triple and stole two bases in three attempts during eight Grapefruit League games with the Braves, putting his speed on display of the whole organization.
"He just needs games to kind of polish him off," Gonzalez said. "The tools are there, and he's certainly not shy to go get balls in center field. We saw that in Spring Training. We had to tell him he's not the only one out there. There are two more guys, one to his right and one to his left."
Unless he is sidetracked, one day Smith will become the first Major Leaguer named Mallex. Where did that name come from anyway?
"Everyone in my family has a first name starting with 'M'," Smith said. "But there was a smart kid in our apartments named Alex. My mom liked his name. So I became Mallex. I'm Alex with an 'M'."
THURSDAY SCORES
ALL TIMES EDT
CLASS AAA
Gwinnett 6, Indianapolis 3
SP: Marimon 4 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K.
WP: Brigham (1-0) 4 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K. (AAA debut for '15)
Bethancourt 2-4, R, 2 RBI; M. Jones 2-3, 2B, R, RBI; Peraza 2-5, 2B, R; EYJ 2-4, 2B, 3 R; Castro 1-4.
CLASS AA
North All-Stars 9, South All-Stars 0
SOUTH: M. Smith 1-3, K.
ADVANCED CLASS A
Cal League 3, Carolina League 1 (4th)
Camargo 0-1.
CLASS A
North All-Stars 7, South All-Stars 5
Beech (Loss) 1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER(2R), O BB, K.
Kinnan 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K.
SOUTH: Albies 0-2, K; Edgerton 0-2, K; Daris 1-2, 2B, RBI.
SHORT-SEASON
GCL Braves 8, GCL Yankees 7 (10)
Ellison GWRBI hit.
SP: Avalos 0.2 IP, 2 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K.
WP: Orozco (1-0) 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K.
Acuna 3-4, 4 R, 2B, 3B, 1 RBI, BB, 2 SB; Ellison 3-5, 2B, 3 RBI; Salazar 3-6, R, RBI: Riley 0-3, R, 2 K.
Danville 9, Pulaski 6
Six stolen bases for Braves.
SP: Weigel 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K.
Wp: Stiffler (1-0) 2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K.
Moore 2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K.
Roney (Save, 1) 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K.
Hoekstra 1-5, 3B, RBI, SB; Gaylor 1-3, 3B, 3 R, SAC, SB; L. Baez 2-5, 2B, R, SB, 3 K; Dykstra 1-4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB.
DSL Tigers 4, DSL Braves 3
Braves led 3-0.
SP: F. Sanchez 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K.
LP: Moreno (0-1) 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER(1R), 0 BB, 1 K.
Ventura 2-4, SB (16); Olmos 1-3, 2B; Michael 1-4, R.
Originally Posted by thethe
