The hairline fracture in Will Smith’s right hand was discouraging news for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ chances of repeating as World Series champions, but contributions from Ben Rortvedt made the loss sting as little as possible.
Rortvedt’s play in place of Smith has far exceeded what can be expected of an under-the-radar acquisition with just 183 Major League games over three seasons prior to 2025.
The biggest surprise has been his contributions at the plate. A career .199/.288/.286 hitter prior to this season, Rortvedt hasn’t made earth-shattering improvements, but they’ve been noticeable since being traded to the Dodgers at the deadline.
He had an -8 wRC+ in 26 games with the Tampa Bay Rays this season, which improved to an 84 wRC+ in 18 games with the Dodgers. The backstop hit .224.309/.327 with two doubles, one home run and four RBI in that time.
Rortvedt added three hits in six at-bats as the Dodgers’ starting catcher for the National League Wild Card Series, and he was behind the plate again for Game 1 of the NL Division Series.
Any offensive contributions the Dodgers get from Rortvedt are a bonus, as most of his impact is felt from behind the plate.
“Ben has been an unsung hero. Just coming in here trying to replace an All-Star catcher, he has the trust in the pitchers,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He’s a servant first, he receives well, he throws well.
“He just understands who he is as a hitter. So to be able to kind of move runners, see pitches, put the ball in play, get hits when we need him, he’s been fantastic. And he had big shoes to fill, but he’s done a great job with the fingers, the catching, all of it.”
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has also had plenty of praise for the way Rortvedt has been able to manage the pitching staff.
Ben Rortvedt’s squirtle walk-up song
Rortvedt’s walk-up song has become part of his brand since joining the Dodgers. He became aware of the saxophone solo through its use in a meme of the Pokémon Squirtle playing the instrument, which caused him to search for the song it came from.
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