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Smoak, who's off to a strong start in 2017, said he's been studying more video and concentrating on hitting for contact instead of swinging for the fences, Mark Zwolinski of the Toronto Star reports.
The switch-hitting first baseman has made specific adjustments this season to handle breaking balls, a pitch he struggled mightily with last year. Smoak posted a career-high 32.8 percent strikeout rate in 2016, but he's got that number down to 22.1 percent through 81 at-bats in 2017. With more playing time comes more footage to review in the film room. "I feel like I've been doing a better job of that," Smoak said. "Last year, when there wasn't a lot of playing time, I tried to hit everything -- all three or four pitches the pitchers had -- and you can't do that." Through 26 games, the 30-year-old is slashing .272/.302/.494, and he's taken control of the first base job while his potential platoon partner, Steve Pearce, struggles in the early going.
