Keith Law of ESPN has Justin Smoak ranked 9th overall in baseball and is the highest ranked first baseman in baseball. Here is his scouting report.
Smoak's march to the majors last season hit a rough patch when he strained his left oblique, causing him trouble when he reached Triple-A and (giving him difficulty against left-handed pitching) for the rest of the year. His upside, however, remains untarnished, as he remains an impact bat from both sides of the plate with a plus glove at first base. Smoak is a very disciplined hitter with similar swings from the left and right sides, centering the ball extremely well and showing power to pull and to the opposite field. His path to the ball is short, and he generates a lot of bat speed from the set position. His only negative as a player is that he's a 20 runner, limiting him to first base, although he's agile and instinctive enough there that his glove should be an asset from the time he reaches the majors. Smoak is somewhat blocked right now by Chris Davis, who recovered from a horrendous first half in 2009 to restore some of his value, but Smoak is the superior player and Davis shouldn't be a long-term obstacle.
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