Will Smith born, raised and continues as a Dodger
by Cary Osborne
Ten years is an eternity for a Major League catcher.
The wear and tear, the foul tips and blocked balls, the juggling act of being productive on offense while managing a pitching staff and being a defender wearing armor isn’t conducive to a lengthy career.
Every now and again comes along the rare player who can do it and do it an elite level as an everyday player.
Will Smith has done it to this point in his now six-season Major League career, and the Dodgers believe he will do it well into the future.
“It’s incredibly rare to find the package of talent, makeup, leadership qualities, and I think all of those things that Will possesses is why we feel good about this deal and it’s something that we’ve been pursuing for a while,” said Brandon Gomes, Dodgers executive vice president and general manager.
Smith agreed to a 10-year contract on Wednesday, the day before the Dodgers’ home opener at Dodger Stadium.
Smith, 28, who would have been a free agent after the 2025 season, said there was a simple reason why he decided not to test the market down the road.
“There’s no better organization that’s more committed to winning the World Series, and that’s the most important thing to me when it comes to baseball,” Smith said.
Smith, a 2020 World Series champion, has been to the postseason each year since he debuted in the Majors in 2019. His 35 games behind the plate in the postseason ranks second in franchise history to Steve Yeager’s 38.
The 2016 first-round pick out of the University of Louisville also said being developed in the Dodger organization and seeing a potential start-to-finish career journey also is meaningful to him.
“I love being a Dodger,” Smith said. “I don’t think I’m the player I would be without being here. For me, to probably finish my career a Dodger, I couldn’t be happier, more excited moving forward.”
Between 2021–23, Smith ranks first among Major League catchers (minimum 75% of games played at the position) in home runs (68), RBI (239), on-base percentage (.355), slugging percentage (.465), OPS (.820), walks (177), runs (219), sacrifice flies (27) and tied for first in OPS+ (122).
From 2020–2022, the Dodgers ranked first in pitching staff ERA each season with Smith as the Dodgers’ everyday catcher.
“It’s a really special organizational moment,” said Andrew Friedman, Dodger president of Baseball Operations. “From the selection and amateur process, through the player development system to the Major League level and that continued development and maturation, Will has been integral and a significant part of a lot of success we’ve achieved to this point. And we’re excited about him being a huge part of what we do into the future.”
