Benjamin
Smart

Preseason All-State (February 20, 2017)

Smart continues to impress on the mound from his 6-foot-1 lean build weighing 155-pounds with a frame ready for more weight. Smart starts with a simple tempo to his delivery, side step with a high knee lift while he gathers his momentum over the rubber, hands stay at his belt area. He shows a deeper/long arm-action but clean, releases from a high-3/4 slot with excellent shoulder and hip separation. Fastball sat 82-83 mph with clear signs of more velocity to come, when stays on-top ball has late downward action, above average changeup sitting 74-75 MPH with arm-fade and down in the zone feel, curveball was a bit inconsistent but shape and depth are there at 68-70 MPH, this early in the year not any real concern. Overall, Smart is a player on the climb in NY and expect this upcoming summer to be his coming out party.

Smart oozes projection from his lanky lean 6-foot-1, 145-pounds frame. Back in June we  first observed Smart pitch and left really liking his future-potential on the mound. In short time, Smart has already started to show signs of that projection, and the future remains awfully bright for the CNY righty. Pitching- On the mound he uses a controlled simple delivery, high knee-lift with his hands low. He gets the most out of his current frame, using a long arm-action with signs of above average flexibility and hip-separation. Fastball sat 81-83 mph (up five-mph from June) with a loose whip action to his arm, high-3/4 slot release. Curveball sat 70-71 with hard-spin, 11/5 late shape - above average pitch. He also shows a workable change-up in the upper 60's that should continue to develop. Overall, the arm is loose and athletic, works easy with minimal effort, definitely a high ceiling.

New York Games (June 27-29, 2016)