Will Smith played a critical role in the Dodgers' series against the Padres, showcasing his ability to catch steal attempts. He threw out all three baserunners who attempted to steal, allowing pitcher Blake Snell to find his rhythm. Smith excels offensively as well, hitting .306 with 15 home runs this season. Although defensively he ranks low in pitch framing, his strong arm compensates for his weaknesses. He leads MLB in caught stealings, making him a valuable asset for the Dodgers as he has demonstrated consistent productivity since his debut.
On Saturday, Blake Snell struggled to get into a rhythm early and dealt with some traffic on the bases. The Padres attempted to steal three times, but Smith threw out all three baserunners. Three of the first four outs the Dodgers recorded were via Smith's arm, and it allowed Snell to end up settling in.
Last season, Smith led MLB by throwing out 33.3% of base stealers. This year, he's thrown out 27.9% of runners, which ranks 17th in MLB among catchers with at least 100 innings, but his 24 caught stealings lead MLB.
In addition to his arm, Smith has been having an MVP-caliber season with his bat. He's hitting .306/.413/.514 with 15 home runs, 54 RBI, 58 runs and a 160 wRC+.
Overall, Smith does not grade out particularly well defensively as he ranks in the first percentile of pitch framing and below average at blocking, but his arm help makes up for that.
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