Will Smith has had plenty of big moments during his eight-year career with the Los Angeles Dodgers across both the regular season and playoffs. Smith’s biggest advantage in these moments is the ability to keep a cool head at the plate.
“I definitely can stay calm in those big situations, not try to do too much. Just stick to my approach, what I’m looking for, and kind of let whatever happens, happens. And that’s kind of how to go to it,” Smith recently said.
Smith’s go-ahead two-run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks on his bobblehead night was the most recent in a laundry list of examples. Of course, there is also the memorable World Series clinching home run in Game 7 last year against the Toronto Blue Jays.
The clutch gene is perhaps the most intangible trait a player can possess. Smith believes he is someone who can come through when the pressure is on, even if it isn’t 100% of the time. The 31-year-old hasn’t always had this skill, but honed it over the course of his career.
“It’s not every time. There’s definitely a lot of it. I don’t know. I think it’s just kind of a skill I’ve developed,” Smith explained. “And it’s not just me, it’s talking to guys that have done that in big situations, how they handle it that.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Smith is one of the most clutch players in the Majors since his debut, citing the walk-off homer from 2019 as the one of the earliest examples.
Roberts believes it’s Smith’s calm demeanor in the batter’s box that elevates his approach and leads to a high level of success.
“I think the heartbeat. I think the heartbeat makes him reliable in those situations. I think his ability to spoil pitches, to put the bat on the ball, he doesn’t chase very much,” Roberts said.
“And so he trusts his swing to see the ball a little bit longer with two strikes and big moments. And then when he gets a pitch he can handle, then he feels convicted to take a good swing.”
Experience and confidence help Will Smith in clutch
There are a lot of factors that go into Smith’s mentality when hitting in key spots, but reminding himself how much pressure the pitcher is under is particularly helpful.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s fun,” he said. “You dream of those situations. I don’t know, I just feel prepared, I feel calm, feel under control, and not trying to do too much.
“I’ve had success, so that brings confidence in those situations, knowing the pitcher is kind of panicking out there. They feel stressed, and I’m not as stressed as them. So yeah, just feel calm and just try to embrace it.”
Smith’s mentality is similar to what Justin Turner often shared throughout his career, and it’s likely one that the veteran helped instill on his former teammate.
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