Every team has their unsung hero. It is a player that comes through and helps deliver and typically is a player that you wouldn’t think would rise up to the occasion. It doesn’t matter the sport, that player typically always exists. Once they get going and it becomes more consistent, they make a name for themselves and put themselves on the map. For the Arizona Diamondbacks, they have that unsung hero and he deserves more recognition that he might already be getting. I present to you; Pavin Smith.

Diamondbacks Unsung Hero

You have to absolutely love what Pavin Smith is doing for the Diamondbacks. He has done a tremendous job, as he has shifted from being in the designated hitter slow and also getting time at first base. However, he has yet to be in the heart of the lineup when a left handed pitcher takes the mound but is front and center when a righty is on the bump. The Diamondbacks offense is once again a force to be reckoned with and Smith is doing his part to contribute to that and is a player that I don’t think anybody other than Diamondbacks fans expected this to happen.

The results speak for themselves and he’s done a tremendous job at the plate. In April so far, he’s 17-48 and was currently riding a five game hitting streak, with three of those games being multi-hit games. Among players that have slotted in the DH slot, he’s done quite well and he’s been one of the best hitters on the team.

Smith is fifth in hits (21), first in doubles (8), leads in batting average (.382), on base percentage (.485) and slugging (.691). His OPS of 1.176 also is among the best and sits near the top of the Diamondbacks roster. That’s huge, especially for a guy who was not pegged to be a regular in the lineup.

He’s truly matured and come into his own. His swing is beautiful and his maturity and approach at the plate are notably better. Smith is making harder contact and barreling the ball more. He’s been a huge component to this offense and truly needs to be talked about more.

The best part is they are doing this without Ketel Marte in the fold, who is currently on the IL. Corbin Carroll is off to a much quicker start this season, where he’s hitting .323 with a 1.039. Josh Naylor is making fans forget that Christian Walker was at first base and Geraldo Perdomo is hitting quite well for himself. Despite the batting average being below .200, Eugenio Suarez is hitting a ton of home runs.

But the Diamondbacks remain very much in the thick of things because of Smith and his ability to help produce. The Diamondbacks sit at 13-9 and still in fourth place in their division, which is crazy to think about.

The pitching needs to be better for the snakes, but Smith and the offense keep rolling.