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Pavin Smith to Primarily Play First Base in 2026
According to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com, Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Pavin Smith is expected to play primarily at first base in the upcoming season. In 2025, Smith drew 36 starts at first base while seeing a much higher 47 starts at the DH spot. In 2024, Smith spent most of his time in the outfield, but now appears to be moving to first base for the foreseeable future. Last summer, the 30-year-old was typically deployed on the strong side of a platoon and held a .258/.362/.434 slash line with eight home runs and two stolen bases. However, he generated a strong 46.1% hard-hit rate with an 11.7% barrel rate, suggesting he could see some positive regression in the power department. With Carlos Santana joining the Diamondbacks, managers should expect Smith to continue to operate as a platoon bat and hold solid streaming upside in deeper leagues.
Source: Steve Gilbert
Source: Steve Gilbert
