Are there any reasons to praise the Los Angeles Dodgers these days? Definitely not. They threw away a 10-game lead in defense of the National League West lead, which they have surrendered to the San Diego Padres; of their last 11 series, they have lost six and four have been under the embarrassing path of the sweep; since July 2, they have not been able to string together more than two wins when they have the most expensive payroll in MLB.
However, Buster Posey, president of operations for the San Francisco Giants and a member of the Bay Area club’s board of directors, was full of praise for Los Angeles Angels catcher Will Smith in the middle of the season. It should be noted that Posey, in his playing days, was a catcher for the team and was the 2012 National League Most Valuable Player and batting champion; he won three World Series and was a five-time Silver Slugger and was a constant thorn in the Dodgers’ side during his 12 seasons with the Giants.
What did Buster Posey say about Will Smith?
Posey may have a cordial public image that can even be affable. But he noticed that Smith, like him, changes when he steps on the field. “I’ve always been a fan of Will. Playing against him, I felt like we had some similarities, because he wasn’t looking to be your best friend when you came to the plate. I kind of appreciated that about him. You could tell he wanted to do everything he could to beat you. He’s certainly been a key part of that team’s success,” said the former San Francisco catcher.
In a star-studded lineup full of former MVPs, such as Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and even starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw, Smith might be relegated to the background for some. Even so, while he is slightly below the National League batting lead (players must average 3.1 plate appearances per game, and Smith averages three plate appearances per game so far), he would still lead the National League in batting with a .312 average.
Posey’s vision to see Will Smith as National League MVP
Buster Posey understands what it means to win a batting title as a catcher and was the most recent to lead his league in batting average at .336 in his second season during San Francisco’s championship run. Along with Joe Mauer, they are the only catchers to win the batting title in the last 50 years. “Especially as you get toward the end of the year, as much as you try to keep your legs in shape throughout the season, inevitably, as the year goes on, your legs start to get a little tired“, Posey said.
Things are looking good for Smith right now. Two-time National League batting champion Luis Arraez of the San Diego Padres is having a down year, and Smith is one of three National League players with a batting average over .300. The Dodgers have been using Smith less during the offseason to preserve him for the postseason. He has only had 74 plate appearances in the last month, and has only started 16 of Los Angeles’ 24 games since the All-Star Game.
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