Will Smith could be the first Dodgers catcher to win a batting title—if the team plays its cards right, writes Bill Shaikin at the Los Angeles Times. In fact, only four catchers in history have managed to win it at all, putting Smith in rare company.
He’s currently batting .312, which would be the lowest average to win an NL batting title; only two other players are batting at least .300 in the league at the moment. That’s likely because batting average has given way to on-base percentage as a valuable stat, with fewer players focusing too much on the former. Just in case, though, Smith also happens to lead the league in the latter.
There’s a catch, of course: Smith isn’t currently averaging the 3.1 plate appearances per game needed to officially win any kind of individual award. The Dodgers have prioritized getting him extra rest this season, so when he plays, he’s in the lead—and when he gets a day off, his appearance numbers slip.
But the time off has been good for Smith, who should now be ready to play more often into the postseason. Manager Dave Roberts said it was possible that Smith played in every game of the upcoming two series against the San Diego Padres. That should help him get to the 502 plate appearances he’ll need to qualify for the batting title, as is Roberts’ commitment to making sure it happens. Perhaps there are a few pinch-hit situations in Smith’s future.
It’s a whole new ballgame in the NL West now. Mike Axisa at CBS Sports outlines four factors that might have an impact on the race for first within the division, from injured list activity to each team’s upcoming schedule.
Shohei Ohtani is no stranger to making history, and he could be on track to have the best couple of seasons after switching teams that we’ve ever seen. Jayson Stark for The Athletic takes a dive into some key stats that show Ohtani’s unprecedented performance.
The Padres aren’t paying too much attention to the Dodgers’ recent struggles, writes Kevin Acee at the San Diego Union-Tribune. The two teams are about to see a lot of each other, with the Padres facing much smoother sailing at the moment than L.A.