Braves: Will Smith slap offers announcers amazing opportunity for 2022 season

The Will Smith slap heard around the world could have hilarious ripple effects in the MLB 2022 season for Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers announcers. 

There will never be a meme as storied and adaptable as there’s a drive into deep left field by Castellanos… in all seriousness, the baseball meme has taken a life of its own, peppered into every interruption in pop culture.

Still, there are new viral moments that offer MLB announcers something to work with throughout the season as they try to spice up their broadcasts and prove their pop culture prowess. Easily, it can be deduced that the infamous moment of Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars will be referenced throughout the MLB season.

It’s already a humorous coincidence that “Will Smith” is not a unique name in the MLB—Will Smith is a pitcher for the Atlanta Braves and a catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Announcers inevitably enjoyed saying “Will Smith facing Will Smith” when the two faced one another in 2020 NLCS Game 5, and it was even better when Dodgers Smith crushed a homer off of Braves Smith that rivaled that of meme king Castellanos.

Describing a Will Smith slap into the outfield might just make this season even more satisfying than seeing one Will Smith put the other to shame.

Will Smith Oscars slap gives MLB announcers for Braves, Dodgers plenty of material

The first Braves-Dodgers series begins on April 18, which is only three weeks from the moment that has the Internet buzzing after the awards ceremony. The Braves face the Dodgers for the second and final time from June 24-26, when Will Smith slaps will likely be less relevant and less funny.

But as the season is set to open, Braves and Dodgers announcers will likely reference the Hollywood Will Smith’s smackdown with Chris Rock, which Smith apologized for as he accepted his Best Actor award for his portrayal of Richard Williams in “King Richard.”