Will Smith has been one of the Dodgers' best hitters since his debut in 2019. His work to improve on defense has made him one of baseball's best catchers.
“What he does offensively, as well as doing what we need to do with the pitching staff and taking pride in that,” Kershaw said, “he makes it look easy.”
“It’s hard to break into that [conversation of] who is the best catcher in the game,” Kershaw said. “Ultimately, he is one of the best catchers now, if not the best one.” “We’re definitely one of the more demanding teams, as far as what we expect out of our catchers,” said Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehmann, who worked closely with Smith and Barnes in his previous role as game planning and communications coach. “It’s a lot to carry every day. It’s a lot to flip on and off, going from offense to defense. And I think he’s done a pretty good job.”
“If you look at the last few years, he’s been more proactive as far as mound visits and speaking up in meetings,” Roberts said. ”That takes time. But when he does say something, it’s heard. It lands with players. And it’s refreshing to have a guy that is clearly about the team, and the pitchers. There’s no self-promotion. That’s something I really respect.”
Smith being snubbed from the previous two All-Star Games had been a point of consternation within the organization, especially for Roberts.
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