Will Smith had another fantastic season behind the plate and with the bat for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and he also set a career high in games played.
The 27-year-old appeared in 137 games, with 109 of those coming as a catcher and an additional 25 as a designated hitter. Smith previously appeared in 130 games in 2021, 37 in 2020 and 54 in 2019.
He is now adding at least four more games played with the potential of up to 19 more as the Dodgers look to cap off their historic 111-win season with a World Series.
But despite the extra workload on his body, Smith is ready to help the Dodgers make a deep playoff run. “I think last year I found a really good routine that works for me,” Smith said.
“It keeps me as fresh as I can be. I stuck with that this year. So right now my body feels good, feels strong, and ready for some more baseball here in the postseason.”
Smith and the Dodgers have also benefited from the inclusion of the universal designated hitter, which MLB and the Players Association (MLBPA) agreed to this offseason as part of their collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
The added position in the lineup has allowed Smtih to continue playing while also taking some of the stress off his body. “Yeah, for sure,” Smith answered when asked if playing DH still allows him to get rest.
“I think more importantly, it just keeps my bat in the lineup and keeps my timing and all that in check. Gets me a few more at-bats throughout the year.”
Although Smith was robbed of an All-Star sGame pot for the second consecutive year, he finished the year as arguably MLB’s best catcher. He hit .260/.343/.465 with 24 home runs, 68 runs scored, 87 RBI and a 127 wRC+ while taking over as the cleanup hitter on the most productive offense in baseball.
Will Smith excited to play for Team USA in WBC
Smith will be among the players representing the Dodgers during the 2023 World BasebalL Classic after being added to the roster at the end of August.
It marks his first time playing for Team USA at any level and it represents a significant recognition of his skill. Smith dreamt of the possibility of playing for Team USA as a kid and is looking forward to the opportunity.
The complete Team USA roster will not be officially announced until the offseason, but Smith is set to share the reps at catcher with J.T. Realmuto.
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