A year ago, the Dodgers were World Series champs, and catcher Will Smith‘s handling of the pitching staff was certainly a factor in getting there. But at the plate, Smith struggled badly as he battled a hand injury that had cost him the last part of September. He hit only .143 for the entire playoffs, and in the five-game win over the Yankees, he was 2-for-18 at the plate.
In 2025, Smith is still handling the pitching staff nicely, but he has looked a lot more like himself with the bat, much to the Dodgers’ delight.
That was highlighted on Saturday in Game 2 in Toronto, when Smith knocked a Kevin Gausman pitch for a homer that broke a 1-1 tie and helped push the Dodgers to a 5-1 win to even the series. Smith, unquestionably, has been healthier through this postseason, and the numbers have show it: He’s hitting .314 in 10 playoff games, with an OPS of .800.
Dodgers Protected Will Smith During 2025
The Dodgers, throughout the season, had taken a more careful line on Smith, ensuring that he got rest and did not bear too much of the load when it comes to catching. Smith was an All-Star again this year and hit a career-high .296 with a .901 OPS, but played in 110 games, the fewest he’s played since 2020.
Manager Dave Roberts said that getting the best from Smith here in October, especially after last year’s difficulties, was one reason the team held him back through the year.
“It was, but last year he was banged up and wasn’t playing well in September and through the postseason,” Roberts said. “This year certainly managing his workload, and then obviously he fractures his hand, and so I think the last week, that week off, I think, got him over the hump. It was the first time in a while he’s pulled a ball like that, so I think that’s part of the healing process.”
Will Smith Got Better at Handling Dodgers Pitchers
Roberts was also asked about the way Smith has developed over the years. Smith was a first-round pick from Louisville in 2016, and is now in his seventh season with the Dodgers. His offense has never been in question, but he has worked to improve his handling of the pitching staff over the years.
Certainly, credit for the 105-pitch complete game win from Yoshi Yamamoto goes to the pitcher, but Smith played a part.
“I think the game calling, the relationship with the pitchers has continued to get better,” Roberts said. “He’s always had the bat to ball, the ability to hit to all fields, the ability to hit verse left, verse right. He understands when to pick his spots. He does his homework. I think at the end of the day, he’s a guy that just doesn’t panic. He’s really got a flat-line heartbeat, and in the postseason, that’s what you need.”
Dodgers Should ‘Embrace the Emotions’
Smith, it turned out, was prophetic when talking about how things would shape up for him and the Dodgers in his pregame chat before Game 2. He spoke about keeping his focus amid the pomp and circumstance of the MLB final.
“It’s the World Series,” he said. “It’s the best of the best, the two hottest teams at the time. It’s fun. So it’s pressure baseball. It’s who is going to mess up, who is going to make the right pitch, who is going to move the ball when you need to.
“You got to embrace the emotions. But you also got to tame ’em. You got to slow the game down. You got to not try to do too much. You got to slow your heart rate down. You got to just focus on the task at hand. Basically just not try to do too much at times. Kind of let the game come to you, not try to force anything, and just kind of focus on what you’re doing.”
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