Will Smith gets praised by Dodgers Bench Coach for staying fresh in his approach to the game.
Will Smith, an All-Star catcher who will likely be an important member of the Dodgers lineup in the upcoming season, quietly goes about his business without making a lot of noise.
The native of Louisville, Kentucky, has an unappreciated job. He is arguably playing baseball’s hardest position, where you get hit by foul balls, bruises, calluses on your hands, and creaking knees all the time.
In the meantime, the native-born Dodger has grown into one of the league’s most dependable catchers. The All-Star, who is 28 years old, is on the verge of reaching his prime.
Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehmann talked about what makes Smith a great ballplayer in an interview with SiriusXM MLB Radio.Lehmann, a former catcher himself, was enamored by Smith’s work ethic, drive to succeed, and commitment to his craft. The coach also provided an example of Smith’s desire to keep becoming better at both hitting and catching:
“He has a very clear idea of what he wants to work on and when. It takes an extreme toll on your body to be strong all year long to catch in the major leagues. However, I believe he does a pretty good job of focusing his time on the tasks that must be completed each day. To his credit, he’s quite willing to keep improving and isn’t really content with where he is at the moment.”
Danny Lehmann, the coach of the Los Angeles Dodgers, on Will Smith, Smith, who is about to start his sixth season in the major leagues, has been a dependable player.
The 2023 All-Star has scored 76 runs in the last three seasons and hit at least 19 long homers. He is a solid runner, a rare strikeout prevention, a great eye at the plate, and a very excellent contact hitter, especially against fastballs.
This year, Smith’s capacity to remain healthy will be even more crucial. The Dodgers’ current lineup is heavily weighted toward lefties. This year, as a right-handed hitter, he ought to get lots of opportunities to face left-handed pitchers.
He also projects to be the cleanup hitter after Freddie Freeman or Shohei Ohtani. Smith ought to have no trouble finding lots of chances to lure runners in as a result.