Will power — in hitting and walking — helps Smith make a statement in Dodger win
by Cary Osborne
Each time Will Smith dug his cleats into the dirt inside the batter’s box on Friday, he did so with the National League’s 2024 starting All-Star catcher William Contreras behind him.
Contreras, ever bit a deserving All-Star, had the best view of Smith emphatically driving home the point that he belongs in Arlington, Texas with the Milwaukee Brewer on July 16.
Smith became the fourth Dodger catcher in franchise history to hit three home runs in the game The last home run was like so many others in his Major League career — a game-changer.
Smith drove a cutter from left-handed reliever Bryan Hudson — himself an All-Star candidate — high into the evening sky, the ball ultimately hitting the foul pole in left field to tie the score in the seventh inning.
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And in the eighth inning, with a chance to become the first catcher in Major League history to hit four home runs in a game, he laid off on four pitches to draw a two-out walk. Freddie Freeman followed with the go-ahead two-run single. Teoscar Hernández followed with an RBI double in the Dodgers’ 8–5 victory.
Smith reached base all five times on Friday with the three home runs and two walks.
Smith had never hit three home runs in a game at any level. In his final at-bat, he was simply thinking about get it to the next guy.
“What a night,” said manager Dave Roberts. “He’s just so consistent. He just doesn’t get the recognition that he deserves as being one of the top two catchers in the game. But today he came up big, and that eighth inning it was all him essentially.”
By measure of on-base percentage (.349), slugging (.502), OPS (.851) and Fangraphs wins above replacement (2.8) — that’s true this year. Smith ranks in the top two of each category among Major League catchers this year.
The 2023 All-Star leads all NL catchers with 14 home runs and 53 RBI.
He continues to build on what has been a historic career for a Dodger catcher. He joined this group of Dodger catchers with three home runs in a game:
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“Those are obviously really good catchers, some of the best to ever do it,” Smith said. “Just to be mentioned with them is pretty neat.”
Then there’s this:
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After a 10-game stretch where Smith went 2-for-34, Smith is 9 for his last 21.
“That’s baseball. There’s always ups and downs,” Smith said. “(Made) some minor swing adjustments, over the last week the at-bats have been better, the contact was better. And tonight I hit a few out there.”
Smith, generally understated, stayed true to that after his three-home run performance. One wouldn’t have known if we hit three home runs or struck out three times.
His bat, though, made a statement two days ahead of the announcement of All-Star reserves.
Will power — in hitting and walking — helps Smith make a statement in Dodger win was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.