Smith Excited To Grow And Enjoy Being A Professional

Boston Smith C / Vandalia Butler, OH / 2021

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The realization about getting drafted “didn’t feel real” according to Boston Smith.

“I was 22 and had played since I could remember,” reflected the sixth-round pick of the Washington Nationals in this year’s MLB Draft. “Whether you’re a kid playing at the Future Games or someone playing in high school, you want to put on a uniform and be a professional player.”

That is now a reality after the 2021 Vandalia Butler High School graduate, who has signed a contract with the Nationals.

“Initially it was a surreal feeling,” Smith related. “Whether it was the Future Games or going to a showcase, it was about finding the right exposure to make this happen. To be able to say you’re a professional is a blessing.”

Being selected in the draft was an expectation for the 5-10 195-pounder, who was chosen as a catcher, a position he played this year in helping Wright State to the NCAA Tournament.

“A couple of teams said they would try to target me in rounds five to seven,” Smith explained. “Some said five to 10. Others said later if they had any leftover money.

“There were four or five teams that showed high interest in me, but the Nationals were not one of them that reached out frequently,” Smith continued. “I didn’t have any predraft workouts with them. But a couple of days before the draft they threw out a number. Then they upped the offer and after a while they upped it a third time.”

There was not a lot of time to make a decision according to Smith, who was with his mother, sister and girlfriend when he found out he was the 171st pick in the draft. A surprise celebration with family and friends took place at his sister’s house in Greenville.

“Their development is good,” Smith said of the Nationals, winners of the 2019 World Series. “Right now they’re going through some rebuilding so it will be good to be in an organization like this.”

A professional contract was signed the Monday after getting drafted and Smith is now “enjoying life a bit” while working out at the organization’s facility down in Florida.

“At the end of the day I have an opportunity to get my foot in the door,” Smith said.

The journey to the pros has been “crazy” in the eyes of Smith, who prior to this past season at Wright State had not played catcher full time since his junior year at Vandalia Butler.

“In my junior year of high school I performed well at a showcase playing with some guys that are big leaguers now,” Smith noted about when becoming a pro baseball player started to become a reality. “I played with Team Indiana that summer, playing with some first-round guys. That’s when I started thinking I may have a chance to make this happen. After that, I had a good senior year.

“But when I got to college the game humbled me,” admitted Smith, who started out at the University of Cincinnati. “As soon as you think you have the game figured out it humbles you. I struggled at Cincinnati, but that opened another door at Wright State. After my junior year there I started to figure out myself as a player and as a person.

“This year, with the help of (Wright State associate head coach) Jordan Chiero, I really took off. He always kept me going in the right direction to grow every day. He did a good job of making me understand that.”

His catching skills improved after returning to the position following two years in the outfield and a third season playing both infield and outfield.

“At the end of the day I wanted to win,” Smith explained about his original change of position from catcher to the outfield. “My mind wasn’t set on playing pro baseball, it was about winning. Then last year everyone got hurt and they needed a shortstop. I have a selfless mentality to do anything to help win games. I still did reps with the catchers, there was enough time to get my work in and stay fresh, and that ended up helping out this year.”

Smith pointed to “being a complete catcher” as what will be key in moving up the ladder of the organization quickly.

“God gave me a unique ability to hit and steal bases, not many catchers do that,” pointed out Smith, who is the only person in his family to play athletics beyond high school. “This is the first year since I was a junior in high school that I was a full-time catcher. If I continue to improve at that, which I think I can, I really like my chances.” 

Ironically, Smith had previously had a chance to become a professional as a free agent when the Mets had leftover money after his senior year of high school.

“I wanted to go get a degree to set myself up instead of taking a risk,” Smith explained about his decision not to turn pro at that time.

Eventually, another opportunity arrived.

“I’m just going to take it one day at a time,” Smith said of the rest of the summer. “They’re easing me into this, doing stuff to build my athleticism behind the plate.”

There are no set goals for Smith, who will turn 23 on Nov. 28.

“In the game of baseball if you have long-term goals you can get distracted,” Smith explained. “You can get depressed and you press. You become anxious to meet those goals and try to do too much. For me, it’s what can I do to push myself to do more than 99 percent of the players that are out there to be able to get that promotion.

“My philosophy is, tomorrow is not promised. I just want to focus on each day, grow and enjoy what I’m able to do.”