Louisville baseball: 3 former Cards to watch when/if MLB returns

2 of 4

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 03: Will Smith #16 of the Los Angeles Dodgers flies out in the eighth inning of game one of the National League Division Series against the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium on October 03, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

Will Smith – Catcher

Los Angeles Dodgers

2019 stats: 54 games played, 43 hits, 2.53 BA,15 home runs, 42 RBI

Former Louisville baseball standout and now Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith was born and raised in Louisville. Playing at Kentucky Country Day in high school, he went on to become the catcher for the Cardinals.

He was drafted in 2016 and made his way through the minors with success. Smith made his major league debut in 2019 and hit the ground running.

“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” had some clutch performances in his first season in the MLB. The Dodgers had three straight games of walk-offs last season, with Smith adding a home run of his own.

https://twitter.com/sportingnews/status/1142945785174208512

Jake Reiner of Sports Illustrated discussed the improvements that Smith could have this season.

“After watching Smith over the course of his whole season, 54 games, I noticed his plate-discipline and calmness in big spots that you’d expect to see from some 10-year veterans,” wrote Reiner. “With two outs and runners in scoring position, he hit .409 (9-22), 3 HR, 15 RBI, and a 1.473 OPS. Not letting the moment overwhelm him is the type of stuff you can’t teach and I don’t see those abilities suddenly disappearing this season.”

Smith had 170 at-bats last season, generating a .253 batting average along with 15 home runs. 2020 was set to be his first full season as the full-time catcher for the Dodgers. No matter the length of the season, Los Angeles will have the talent to be in contention for a World Series title. This will make Will Smith one of the most popular former Cardinals in the MLB.

Home/Louisville Baseball