A big piece to the success of the Los Angeles Dodgers has been the emergence of Will Smith into one of the best catchers in all of Baseball. His ascension to becoming a two-time All-Star has helped solidify the position and become a staple in the lineup.
The Dodgers rewarded Smith in late March with a 10-year contract extension, paving the way for him to be with the team for the remainder of his career. While Smith has become a household name, he’s fallen victim to a prolonged slump every year.
That’s been the case this season since June 1, though Smith has started to turn the corner on the Dodgers’ road trip.
A three-hit game last Tuesday was a boost to Smith’s own view on what could be in store for the rest of the season, per Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
Smith acknowledged being frustrated by his slump – “It’s always frustrating when you’re struggling.” He made “several little adjustments” to get his “body moving right.”
“The load, where my hands were getting, just syncing everything up and connecting, using the ground,” Smith said. “I wasn’t far off. It’s a hard game so if you’re off just a little bit it’s hard to compete. Just grinding.”
Smith had a three-game hitting streak snapped in the Dodgers’ loss on Saturday. The stretch included a home run against the Milwaukee Brewers that was his first since July 6.
It’s plausible Smith was feeling the effects of Mookie Betts and Max Muncy not being in the Dodgers lineup because of respective injuries, but the question of potential fatigue came into play as well.
Though, Smith and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts have both dismissed his number of starts and workload as being to blame.
How can returning bats help Will Smith?
Muncy slotting back into the heart of the lineup will provide the Dodgers with a bat to break up right-handed hitters. Though, that’s a role currently being filled by Gavin Lux.
Smith sliding down in the Dodgers lineup could be a factor to his recent success as it’s seemingly taken some pressure off.
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