After spending parts of four seasons in the Minor Leagues and becoming the top prospect in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, Dalton Rushing made his MLB debut in 2025 and established his role as the team’s backup catcher.
The results of his first season wasn’t exactly Rookie of the Year material, as Rushing played in just 53 games and hit .204/.258/.324 with five doubles and four home runs. But his role as Will Smith’s understudy wasn’t exactly conducive to an easy transition facing Major League pitching.
However, the evaluation of Rushing’s season should be graded on a curve, with the added context of facilitating Smith’s career-best season by carrying some of the load behind the plate.
As the page turned from 2025 to the new year, Rushing took a moment to reflect on his first season in the Majors and all the good that took place.
Despite not having All-Star-caliber success on a personal level, it’s hard to argue that Rushing’s rookie season was not a success. Every aspiring Major Leaguer hopes to one day make their debut, get their first hit, home run, and win a World Series, among many other accomplishments.
Luckily for Rushing, he was able to cross some of the biggest items off his list in one fell swoop.
It remains to be seen how his role evolves going forward, but it has been speculated some left field could be in the cards next season. That would allow Rushing to receive more consistent at-bats, which was a significant problem for him last season.
Rushing played 31 games at the position with Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2024, and two additional games in 2025 prior to being called up to the Dodgers roster. Despite the Dodgers experimenting with Rushing’s position, general manager Brandon Gomes previously said the team viewed catcher as being his long-term future and focus moving forward.
Dodgers believe Dalton Rushing developed as catcher
Speaking of Rushing’s development behind the plate, the Dodgers were pleased with his growth in regard to the important nuances of being a Major League catcher.
The mental aspect of catching, game-planning and calling a game alongside a pitcher, often doesn’t get enough attention as it should. It’s one of the most important skills a prospect learns, as there is sizable learning curve even from the Minors to the Majors.
That is an area of growth the Dodgers believe Rushing made strides in after introducing new concepts to him during Spring Training.
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