Will Smith made his MLB debut in 2019 and immediately proved he belonged with an outstanding rookie showing. Because of that, Smith went into 2020 as the Los Angeles Dodgers’ starting catcher and all reports indicated the organization was very high on him.
That ended up being for good reason with Smith putting up even better offensive numbers in 2020 than he did his rookie year. In 37 regular-season games, he hit .289/.401/.579 with eight home runs and 25 RBI.
Unfortunately, Smith suffered a relatively minor neck injury that nonetheless caused him to miss a couple of weeks in the middle of the season. He otherwise could have won awards for being the best offensive catcher in baseball.
In addition to Smith, Austin Barnes also played at a really high level in 2020, so the Dodgers essentially had a timeshare behind the plate between the two.
By the time the postseason rolled around, it became clear that Barnes was more comfortable at handling the Dodgers’ pitching staff. Because of that, he saw a lion’s share of the time at catcher in October.
That doesn’t mean that Smith was relegated to the bench though, as he remained in the lineup every day; either at catcher when Barnes wasn’t starting, or at designated hitter when he was.
Smith’s postseason numbers weren’t spectacular, slashing just .203/.267/.348 with two home runs and 13 RBI in 18 games. There is no question that he came up with a few clutch hits though, which helped propel the Dodgers to winning their first World Series since 1988.
2020 highlight
Smith’s biggest hit of the postseason came in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series, and it was arguably the most important hit for the entire team in October.
With the Dodgers trailing 3-1 in the series against the Atlanta Braves, they found themselves on the brink of elimination as they were down 2-1 in the sixth inning of Game 5.
Smith stepped to the plate with two on and two outs, facing Braves lefty Will Smith.
Despite falling down in the count 0-2, Smith remained patient and worked it back full before getting a pitch that he could hit. On a fastball low and in, Smith turned on it for a three-run home run, giving L.A. its first lead of the game.
The Dodgers went on to win Games 5, 6 and 7 to erase the 3-1 deficit, eventually going on to win the World Series in six games.
Other big moments for Smith in the postseason include a two-run single in Game 7 of the NLCS to tie the game, and also a five-hit game in Game 3 of the NL Division Series, which set a franchise record.
2021 outlook
Smith’s situation in 2021 will likely be similar to what it was this year in that he will be the team’s starting catcher. Barnes is still around and will get playing time of his own though, so both catchers should be able to stay fresh throughout the regular season.
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