One question that has not been raised about Dodgers catching prospect Will Smith is whether or not he can stick behind the plate. He has a plus arm and plenty of agility behind the plate to make him an above average if not plus as a catcher. The Dodgers love to get their catchers playing other positions, and Smith has turned himself into a serviceable defender at the hot corner and has seen some time at second in the past.
The big question (after he replies “no, not that Will Smith, no not the football player Will Smith…”) is how much will he hit? I am in the minority that feels he can hit enough to be an everyday option behind the plate. He has some leg kick and can get out on his front foot too far and his bat speed is far from elite, but the bat plane allows him to really drive the ball. With the defense he brings to the table and the power he can provide, he only needs to hit .225+ to be a valuable player. I expect him to hit between that .225-.230 with 18-20 home runs should he get an everyday player’s workload.
Depending on how long Austin Barnes is on the shelf, Smith should get every opportunity to take over as the primary backstop ahead of Russell Martin, but the Dodgers do have arguably the best catching prospect in the game, Keibert Ruiz, who could find himself in the mix before too long. Ruiz is still just 20 and at AA so that may be somewhat aggressive, meaning Smith has every opportunity to hold down a job in the big leagues for the rest of the season even after Barnes comes back as he and Barnes both have the ability to play the infield, reducing the roster concerns often created by carrying three catchers.
THREE QUARTER SLOT 