Will Smith has become a regular on The Shredder rankings of the Top-10 Catchers Right now, and as the Los Angeles Dodgers backstop heads into the 2025 season, he’s been ranked in the top three for a fifth consecutive year.
Smith checked in third on the latest list.
The Shredder ranked Smith as high as the No. 2 catcher in baseball for the 2024 and 2024 seasons, and he began appearing on the MLB Top-10 Catchers Right Now list in 2021.
William Contreras of the Milwaukee Brewers and the Baltimore Orioles’ Adley Rutschman are the two players ranked ahead of Smith by The Shredder for this season.
Smith had a bit of a fall from grace in the eyes one of analysts with Ben Lindbergh ranking him fifth. He was looked upon more favorably by Brian Kenny and former MLB catcher Alex Avila, who had him at No. 3 and No. 2, respectively.
Kenny and Avila agreed with The Shredder’s ranking and had Contreras as their top catcher heading into 2025, while Lindbergh went with Rutschman.
Smith is heading into his sixth season as the Dodgers’ full-time catcher and is coming off his second consecutive All-Star Game selection.
Smith got off to an extremely hot start in 2024, but cooled significantly as the season continued and his struggles continued into the postseason. He finished the regular season batting .248/.327/.433 with 24 doubles, 20 home runs and 75 RBI.
He has been one of the best catchers in baseball since becoming the Dodgers’ full-time catcher as he leads all current backstops with 15.5 WAR since the start of the 2021 season. Due to his production and value to the club, the Dodgers locked him up long-term with a 10-year, $140 million contract in 2024.
However, he still has room to grow if he is able to maintain the same level of production throughout the entire season, which he hasn’t been able to do the past two seasons.
MLB Top-10 Catchers Right Now for 2025
| Rank | The Shredder | Ben Lindbergh | Brian Kenny | Alex Avila |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William Contreras (Brewers) | Adley Rutschman (Orioles) | William Contreras (Brewers) | William Contreras (Brewers) |
| 2 | Adley Rutschman (Orioles) | Cal Raleigh (Mariners) | Adley Rutschman (Orioles) | Will Smith (Dodgers) |
| 3 | Will Smith (Dodgers) | William Contreras (Brewers) | Will Smith (Dodgers) | Cal Raleigh (Mariners) |
| 4 | Cal Raleigh (Mariners) | Patrick Bailey (Giants) | Yainer Diaz (Astros) | Adley Rutschman (Orioles) |
| 5 | J.T. Realmuto (Phillies) | Will Smith (Dodgers) | Cal Raleigh (Mariners) | J.T. Realmuto (Phillies) |
| 6 | Yainer Diaz (Astros) | Francisco Alvarez (Mets) | J.T. Realmuto (Phillies) | Yainer Diaz (Astros) |
| 7 | Gabriel Moreno (Diamondbacks) | Gabriel Moreno (Diamondbacks) | Salvador Perez (Royals) | Salvador Perez (Royals) |
| 8 | Alejandro Kirk (Blue Jays) | Austin Wells (Yankees) | Gabriel Moreno (Diamondbacks) | Gabriel Moreno (Diamondbacks) |
| 9 | Sean Murphy (Braves) | Alejandro Kirk (Blue Jays) | Patrick Bailey (Giants) | Shea Langeliers (Athletics) |
| 10 | Austin Wells (Yankees) | Yainer Diaz (Astros) | Francisco Alvarez (Mets) | Tyler Stephenson (Reds) |
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