When thinking of the Los Angeles Dodgers, players who have won recent MVP awards like Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, might come to mind over Will Smith. When thinking of the name Will Smith, the actor and relief pitcher might come to mind before the catcher. That shouldn't be the case in either scenario.
Will Smith, the Dodgers catcher, has been one of the best and most underrated players in the game in quite some time, and he just played a huge role in Los Angeles' Game 2 victory in the World Series. Not only did he catch Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who threw a complete game, but he also launched a go-ahead home run off Kevin Gausman, who had retired 17 in a row prior to the moonshot.
WILL SMITH 🔥🔥pic.twitter.com/Gm1VSiwDXo
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) October 26, 2025
The last base runner prior to the home run happened to be Smith, whose RBI single in the first inning gave the Dodgers an early lead. He even drove in an eighth-inning insurance run to give the Dodgers a 5-1 lead. His fingerprints were all over this game, yet it feels like he still didn't get enough praise for his heroics. In fact, he's gone 3-for-7 overall in this series with four RBI, looking like the biggest threat at the dish for the Dodgers.
To us Will Smith truthers, this isn't a huge surprise. It's time for MLB fans to learn just how good the best Will Smith actually is.
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Will Smith was one of the best hitters in the game this season
He's constantly overlooked, so I don't think MLB fans fully comprehend just how good he is. Allow me to inform.
Smith slashed .296/.404/.497 in the 2025 regular season, with 17 home runs and 61 RBI in 110 games. He'll never play in 140+ games because of the position he plays, and he did miss time with a hand injury that bled into the playoffs, but in the regular season games he played, Smith has never been better. Here are his ranks among those with at least 400 plate appearances.
Statistic | MLB Rank |
|---|---|
OBP | 3rd (.404) |
wRC+ | 8th (153) |
fWAR | T-31st (4.1) |
Will Smith got on base at a higher percentage than Juan Soto, had a higher wRC+ than Kyle Schwarber, and while being tied for 31st in fWAR might not sound great, Smith played fewer games than anyone in the top 50 position players other than Corey Seager, a proven superstar. The only other player to even accumulate 3.0 fWAR in fewer games than Smith was Ronald Acuña Jr., another proven superstar.
Smith got off to a bit of a slow start this postseason after coming back from his hand injury, but he now has a six-game hitting streak with three multi-hit games in those six contests. He's now hitting .314 with a .400 OBP in October.
This guy has put up superstar numbers all year. While he hasn't quite been this good before, Smith has been one of the best catchers in the game for a while.
Will Smith has been one of MLB's best catchers for quite some time
It's easy for Smith to get overshadowed when discussing the best catchers in the game because of how great Cal Raleigh was this season or how great J.T. Realmuto has been for what feels like forever now, but the stats do show how good Smith has been relative to other qualified catchers since 2021.
Statistic | C Rank Since 2021 |
|---|---|
AVG | 5th (.263) |
OBP | 1st (.357) |
OPS | 1st (.821) |
HR | 3rd (105) |
RBI | 3rd (375) |
wRC+ | 2nd (126) |
fWAR | 2nd (19.5) |
Smith has gotten on base more than any other catcher for a half-decade now, and I'd argue he's been the most well-rounded hitter at the position. When seeing these ranks, it's easier to understand how he's made the All-Star team in each of the last three years.
While Smith has been among the best catchers in the game for a while, he's clearly taken a leap this season. There's a reason for that.
Dodgers finally found recipe to allow for Will Smith breakout
Smith has been one of the best hitters in the National League in the first half for several years now.
- 2023 first half OPS: .889
- 2024 first half OPS: .838
- 2025 first half OPS: .966
His second half numbers, though, haven't quite been up to par.
- 2023 second half OPS: .701
- 2024 second half OPS: .626
- 2025 second half OPS: .759
A big reason for the drop-off in the second half has to do with the Dodgers relying heavily on Smith to start as much as they conceivably could from the catcher position. Well, this season, even before Smith's fractured hand, the Dodgers prioritized getting the backstop more rest throughout the year in hopes to see his production in the second half and October improve, and the benefit has been evident.
Smith's second-half production pales in comparison to his first, but it was an improvement from recent years, and the same can be said about his postseason production. Smith played in 16 postseason games last season and slashed .143/.246/.321 with three home runs. He won't play in as many games this time around, but his .314/.400/.400 slash line is obviously a huge step up, and as mentioned above, he's only getting better.
The Dodgers have the benefit of being able to win regular-season games even without their star catcher, so they can afford to give him more days off than other teams otherwise would. His regular-season numbers might dip a bit because of that, but if it means he's fresher for October, who cares?
A healthy and fresh Smith is, undoubtedly, one of the best players in the game. We saw that throughout the 2025 campaign, and we're seeing it on the biggest of stages too. Chances are, if the Dodgers repeat as World Series champions, Smith will be a huge reason why.