Wieters on Smoak: "He's Going to Hit at This Level"

The Seattle Times spoke with Matt Wieters, catcher for the Baltimore Orioles, during this week's All-Star festivities. There likely isn't a better analyst outside of Seattle on the potential of Mariners first baseman Justin Smoak.

Both players graduated from Stratford High School. And, just as Wieters is figuring out what works in Baltimore, he told the Times that Smoak will find what works in Seattle.

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"He's going to hit," Weiters told the paper. "I know it's taking longer than everyone wants, but he's going to hit. He has that kind of ability and that kind of talent …

"It's a difficult game and no one has reasons why things come at a certain pace, but my belief is that his ability and his talent, which I've seen all the way growing up, he's going to hit at this level."

Read the entire interview with Wieters on Smoak's talent and the difficult challenge last year of losing his father, Keith Smoak.

More:

• Read more Patch coverage of Matt Wieters
• Read more Patch coverage of Justin Smoak
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