After a few years of searching for the right kind of player to bat leadoff, Buck Showalter may have found a solution in 2017 – or at least a partial one. In his first year as an Oriole, Seth Smith is providing just what Dan Duquette was hoping for when he shipped pitcher Yovani Gallardo to Seattle for the left-handed hitting outfielder - an on-base machine.
Smith, 34, has cemented his role as the Oriole leadoff hitter on the strong side of the platoon by hitting a robust .313/.400/.547 with three home runs and eight RBIs.