"Will Smith was a first-round pick by the Dodgers in the 2016 MLB Draft out of the University of Louisville and signed on July 17, 2016. He spent parts of four seasons working his way up through the Dodgers' farm system and was eventually promoted to the Majors on May 27, 2019, to replace the injured Austin Barnes. Smith made a good first impression, hitting .269/.345/.654 in 26 at-bats during his first two months in the Majors."
"With nine homers and 26 RBI in his first 23 games, the rookie passed Cody Bellinger for the most in franchise history through that many contests. Over the next handful of seasons, Smith established himself as one of the best offensive catchers in baseball. From 2019-2023, Smith ranked second among all catchers in wRC+ at 128. Only Adley Rutschman and Mitch Garver were better, but both had roughly 800 fewer at-bats."
Will Smith was a first-round pick by the Dodgers in 2016 from the University of Louisville and signed July 17, 2016. He progressed through the Dodgers' farm system and debuted May 27, 2019, replacing injured Austin Barnes. Smith hit .269/.345/.654 in 26 at-bats early and contributed to the team's third consecutive rookie walk-off home run on June 23, 2019. He returned briefly to Triple-A before becoming the primary catcher, hitting nine homers and 26 RBI in his first 23 games. From 2019–2023 Smith ranked second among catchers in wRC+ at 128 and earned a 10-year, $140 million contract extension.
Read at Dodger Blue
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]