Dodgers catcher Will Smith is overshadowed, maybe perpetually so. He is buried beneath a lot larger names like Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts on the Dodgers. As an incredible hitting catcher, he is caught behind Cal Raleigh. He isn’t even essentially the most well-known Will Smith in California.
Smith was overshadowed once more in Sport 2 of the World Collection. Smith was integral to the Dodgers’ 5-1 victory, which pulled them even, 1-1, within the best-of-seven Fall Basic. His battery-mate, pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, simply occurred to be much more integral.
Yamamoto deserves all of the reward he’ll get. He is now gone back-to-back full video games within the playoffs, a feat unprecedented for many years (it hadn’t occurred since 2001). He was masterful.
We won’t ignore Smith, although.
He got here via with a two-out, RBI single to get the scoring began within the first inning. He broke a tie with a solo residence run within the prime of the seventh. He put the ball in play with the bases loaded within the eighth and ended up with an RBI fielder’s alternative. That is a 2 for 4 recreation with three RBI. Not too shabby.
Keep in mind Smith, as a catcher, can also be concerned in game-planning with the pitcher and dealing with him all evening. Yamamoto will get the lion’s share of the reward for his outing, however Smith was useful behind the plate, too, calling pitchers and dealing together with his pitcher.
“I feel the sport calling, the connection with the pitchers has continued to get higher,” Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts stated after the sport. “He is at all times had the bat to ball, the flexibility to hit to all fields, the flexibility to hit verse left, verse proper. He understands when to choose his spots. He does his homework. I feel on the finish of the day, he is a man that simply does not panic. He is actually obtained a flat-line heartbeat, and within the postseason, that is what you want.”
Smith entered the postseason with a hand harm, to the purpose that it regarded like he won’t be capable to play protection and would simply be a pinch hitter. He is again to being the full-time catcher, although, and he is hit .314 with six RBI in 40 plate appearances.
Within the common season, Smith had his finest 12 months. He was restricted to 110 video games, however slashed .296/.404/.497, good for a 152 OPS+. The league solely hit .245 with a .315 OBP this 12 months and catchers had been held to a .238/.306/.394 line, so Smith exceeded his fellow backstops by almost 60 factors of common and roughly 200 factors of OPS. How many individuals actually seen what an offensive drive he was this season? Dodgers followers. Fantasy baseball gamers. That could be about it. Why?
As a result of Smith was overshadowed. Raleigh hit 60 residence runs and may win the American League MVP. He set a brand new document for catcher residence runs. Smith had a a lot increased common and OBP.
Talking of MVPs, Ohtani is more likely to win the distinction within the Nationwide League. It will be his second straight with the Dodgers in his first two seasons in Los Angeles. Freeman and Betts have additionally received MVPs and all three hit in entrance of Smith within the lineup, as soon as once more, you guessed it, overshadowing him.
Smith could be one of many largest stars on variety of MLB groups. On this Dodgers workforce, although, he is simple to overlook. Not that it appears to trouble Smith. He signed a 10-year, $140 million extension that began earlier than the 2024 season. Did you even keep in mind that? Possibly. However perhaps not. Why? You realize the reply. The Dodgers have a boatload of way more eye-popping contracts.
As soon as once more, he is overshadowed.
Sport 2 of the 2025 World Collection made good sense. Smith was central to the Dodgers win and relegated to a mere footnote. He deserves extra credit score than that, nevertheless, as he is among the finest catchers in baseball and simply had an incredible efficiency to assist his workforce win a World Collection recreation.
