Pavin Smith DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo and infielder/outfielder Pavin Smith will both start on the bench on Wednesday against the hosting New York Mets. It will be Perdomo's first day off this season. Garrett Hampson is starting at the 6 and batting ninth, while Randal Grichuk will serve as the designated hitter and bat third against Mets right-hander Huascar Brazoban. Left-hander Brandon Waddell is scheduled for a bulk-relief role, which is why Arizona is resting both Perdomo and Smith, who both hit left-handed. Perdomo has struggled of late, going 5-for-36 with a homer, two doubles, two RBI, three steals, si walks and six K's in his last nine games. Smith has been hot in the first month, slashing .347/.478/.639 with four homers, nine RBI and 16 runs scored. Grichuk has a hit in just two career at-bats against Brazoban.

Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Pavin Smith had a productive game in a 6-4 win over the Miami Marlins on Thursday. Smith went 2-for-3 with a double, a homer, two walks, a stolen base, and two RBI in the win. The veteran hit his third homer of the season in the first inning, a solo shot that gave the Diamondbacks a 2-0 lead in the early going. Smith is swinging a hot bat, hitting .404 with three homers, 10 runs, seven RBI, and one steal across 47 at-bats. He is worth a spot in starting lineups in fantasy while he is hot at the plate.

Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Pavin Smith went 3-for-5 with a double, a homer, two runs, and two RBI in his team's 9-0 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday. Smith ripped a 416-foot two-run homer off Orioles starter Dean Kremer in the fifth inning, giving his team a 4-0 lead in the contest. The veteran infielder is off to a fast start this season as he's batting .400 with one homer, eight runs, and four RBI in 30 at-bats. He will look to keep his hot streak going as the Diamondbacks have an off day on Thursday before they open a weekend series with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Pavin Smith will take a seat on Saturday afternoon, facing Washington southpaw Mitchell Parker. Fantasy managers should expect Smith to return to the starting nine on Sunday afternoon when they face Washington right-hander Brad Lord. Smith has typically hit the bench when facing left-handed pitchers. Instead, Randal Grichuk will get the starting nod as a designated hitter. Through the first seven contests of the regular season, Smith has held a .313/.450/.500 slash line with three doubles and a 4:9 BB:K. Last season, Smith was very productive against right-handed pitching, as he posted a strong .282/.356/.564 line. Grichuk is worth a look as an option in DFS competitions, facing Parker, who held a 4.29 ERA last season.

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Pavin Smith is expected to open the campaign in a platoon role at the designated hitter spot. Being a left-handed bat, Smith should see a majority of the starts. Joc Pederson occupied this role last season but departed in free agency to sign with Texas. When facing a right-handed pitcher last season, the 29-year-old posted a strong .282/.356/.564 slash line with eight home runs and nine doubles. He held a solid 15:27 BB:K ratio. Under the hood, Smith generated a stellar .293 xBA and a .395 xwOBA. Right-handed bat Randal Grichuk will likely slot in on the short side of this platoon. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Smith's status during spring training, as he could also see occasional starts in the outfield and first base. Even though he will likely be in a platoon role, given his impressive splits, he does carry value in deeper formats.