2019 No. 2 prospect: Will Smith

If it weren’t for a complete cratering of his contact rate in Triple-A, Will Smith might have spent his early fall on the Dodgers’ playoff roster. No player has shown the total buy-in to the Dodgers hitting philosophy like Will Smith, who has completely transformed his flat, high-contact swing from Louisville into a more uphill, powerful plane, while showing tremendous discipline at the plate. His athleticism and defensive skills behind the plate should also make Smith a significantly more valuable player than your eye might suggest, and one that could be grabbing the heavy end of the platoon reigns behind the plate this season.

As mentioned, Smith has sold out his contact approach for power, and he gets to almost all of his raw power in games. He swings with aggression but is willing to wait for the right pitch to turn on. His swing plane steepness has left him vulnerable up in the zone and on some breaking pitches and he will likely carry strikeout rates in the 20%+ range with him to the major leagues. Smith gets back some of his previous high contact value in a stellar walk rate and he is very good at diagnosing pitches despite his high strikeouts. His on-base percentage has typically been above .350 despite modest batting averages, but that also comes with plenty of pop for a catcher.

Smith has the full toolkit behind the plate, where he’s an excellent receiver, backstop and running game controller. His athleticism also carries out to the infield, where he can handle third base now and possibly second in the future.

Smith doesn’t have much development left in the minor leagues, save for maybe a few adjustments to handle tougher pitches upstairs and will likely be a call-up should any catcher face significant time on the injured list. He could even be thrust into the spotlight in the second half if Austin Barnes struggles as the plate. Though they are very similar players, Smith has the future edge on Barnes in terms of athleticism, power and defense.

It remains to be seen if Smith can hit enough to draw national attention as a future All Star, despite the total lack of offense at the catching position in the major leagues. His offensive profile tends to be the type that is undervalued at the prospect level, but his ability to impact every aspect of the game could make him a high WAR accumulating player despite middling batting averages. Will Smith might soon be the poster child for the development staff’s ability to transform hitters, which might also see him given more room to land safely at the major league level than other prospects would be afforded.