Indians’ Prospect Jordan Smith Hits For Cycle

Sunday afternoon in Reading, Pennsylvania, the Akron RubberDucks  held a parade. A 6-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies’ Double-A affiliate was possible thanks to 19 hits for Akron, while the carousel of base runners was led by center fielder Jordan Smith, who hit for the first cycle in 11 years for the franchise.

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The 6’4″, 205 pound, 24-year-old outfielder went 4-for-5 with three RBI in the game, raising his season line to .251/.298/.333, but don’t let that fool you. Smith is hitting .390/.405/.585 over his last ten games, and .326/.351/.467 in the month of July. April and May were full of struggles for the left-handed hitter, as Smith hit just .201/.249/.241 over the season’s first 47 games. Clearly, his recent outburst is not only encouraging for his statistics, but also his future.

The outfielder may not pack a lot of punch, but he has a similar profile to that of injured RubberDucks teammate Tyler Naquin. Smith has primarily played right field, where he has piled up 21 outfield assists in 183 games after moving off of third base in 2012 for good, showing a solid approach at the plate and solid but not elite speed. His bat profiles more in center than a corner outfield spot, but he could be a valuable piece as outfield depth in a worst case scenario.