Dominic Smith’s season was pure magic

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY SportsWhen Dominic Smith arrived at Port St. Lucie, he brought with him a career .665 OPS, a new sleep apnea mask, and a burgeoning friendship with Pete Alonso, the man everyone including Smith knew had just leapfrogged him on the depth charts. But despite his brutal first two seasons in the majors, endless position and role changes, and a significant injury, his breakout year was nothing short of magical and bestowed Mets Folk Hero status on him for life.

It was easy to dismiss Smith’s dazzling Spring Training numbers because, well, it’s Spring Training and anyway wunderkind Alonso had hit even better. Sure, there were reports that Smith had been diagnosed with and…