On June 23, 2019, Will Smith helped the Los Angeles Dodgers carve out a spot in MLB history with the team’s third rookie walk-off home run in a row against the Colorado Rockies.
The 2010s were a particularly productive period for the Dodgers’ farm system, with the likes of Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager and Walker Buehler becoming household names. Seager and Bellinger captured back-to-back Jackie Robinson National League Rookie of the Year Awards for the Dodgers, and Buehler almost made it three in a row during the 2018 season.
On the heels of back-to-back trips to the World Series, the Dodgers outdid themselves during the regular season in 2019. They broke the franchise record for wins that year with 106, and a lot of that success was driven by the young talent on the roster.
The 2019 season featured a new crop of players following in the footsteps of Seager, Bellinger and Buehler. In addition to promising third-year outfielder Alex Verdugo, there was an emerging group of prospects looking to carve out roles for themselves, including Gavin Lux, Dustin May, Will Smith and Matt Beaty.
The Dodgers’ streak of rookies to hit a walk-off home run began with Beaty and continued with Verdugo. They became the first set of rookie teammates in MLB history to hit walk-off home runs in back-to-back games.
Although Verdugo debuted in 2017, he was still considered a rookie during the 2019 season because of his lack of service time in the Majors.
Then in just his seventh career Major League game, Smith added to the record with a walk-off three-run home run against the Rockies. Making it all the more memorable is Smith had just arrived at Dodger Stadium that morning upon getting recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City.
While Verdugo and Beaty were not long for the Dodgers, Smith is in his seventh season with the team and is under contract through 2033 after signing a 10-year, $140 million extension in 2024.
After the 2019 season, Verdugo was traded to the Boston Red Sox as a key part of the trade that sent Mookie Betts to the Dodgers. Beaty stuck around the organization for two more seasons, but was traded to the San Diego Padres in 2022 for River Ryan, who later became one of their top prospects.
Will Smith sets Dodgers record
Smith’s home run against the Padres on June 18, 2025, was the third pinch-hit, walk-off home run of his career, which broke a tie with Rick Monday for most in Dodgers franchise history.
Smith’s two previous game-winning home runs as a pinch-hitter came as a rookie on June 23, 2019 (vs. Rockies) and July 20, 2021 (vs. San Francisco Giants).
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