LOS ANGELES — It’s not every day a World Series hero is in the building. Well, okay that’s happened a lot in LA lately. Anyway, we got a chance to catch up with Will Smith at DodgerFest last Saturday. After another long year that ended with a ring, he said he kept things simple this offseason. Family, a couple trips, and then right back into the routine that comes with playing deep into October.
“It’s been great,” Smith said. “Just been a lot of family time. A couple trips, stuff like that, hang out with the girls. It’s been short. Definitely would like it to be a little longer, but I’m ready to get back to work.”
For the Dodgers, a short winter has become part of the calendar. Smith said the process is familiar now, and he laid it out like a checklist he’s done enough times to trust it. “It’s kind of almost a routine now,” he said. “Take November off, start working out December, get the arm moving, get the swing going. We kind of got it down now. So hopefully run it back again this year.”
One of the big new talking points this spring is the bullpen, especially with elite closer Edwin Díaz in the mix. Smith lit up when the subject came up, because catchers think about that relationship right away. “It’s exciting,” he said. “He’s probably the best player in the game. I don’t know any better. Super excited to have him. Super excited for spring training, to get to know him, see what he does so well.”
Smith said his offseason work didn’t change much because of any new role or new schedule, but he expects the ramp-up in camp to be a little quicker. “I kind of stuck with the same program,” he said. “That’ll more so be a spring training plan. Probably a few more innings earlier on in spring training, ramp up a little bit quicker.”
He also talked about how he felt late in the season, especially after the hand injury that changed his September. “I felt good,” Smith said. “There was never really an exact plan how many games you’re supposed to play or whatever. But I felt good until I broke my hand, and then there was a lot of recovery in September and getting the body right. So I felt great in October.”
That injury sits in the middle of any conversation about how he managed the season, because it forced rest and rehab at the same time the team was sprinting toward the finish. “I don’t know if it was kind of a combination of both or just having September off, unfortunately,” he said, “but I felt great in October.”
Smith also spent part of the interview talking about change in the clubhouse, because the Dodgers are heading into a year without the GOAT Clayton Kershaw around every day. When he described what he’ll miss, it sounded like someone talking about the tone-setter in a room full of pros. “Just his presence each and every day,” Smith said. “Keeping it light. At the same time, the intensity he has behind everything he does, between his bullpen, his work in the weight room, just competitiveness.”
He said the ripple effect is real, even if the club is built to absorb it. “We’re definitely going to miss it,” Smith said. “But we got a lot of guys that have learned so much from him over the years, and his legacy is going to carry on.”
Asked if the dynamic changes without him, Smith didn’t try to pretend it won’t. “Certainly,” he said. “He’s definitely a presence. First-ballot Hall of Famer, right? But we have so many leaders in that clubhouse that we’re not going to skip a beat as far as any of that stuff. We’re definitely going to miss it.”
When the conversation shifted to the front office continuing to add talent, Smith sounded like a player who understands what the job description is here. “That’s the goal every year for us, is to win a World Series,” he said. “Certainly the goal this year. It’s exciting as a player, getting several new guys that are really going to help us win ball games. As a fan, getting some other All-Stars and just really good baseball players. So it should be a fun year.”
The schedule angle came up too, because the Dodgers keep getting asked to open seasons with travel and showcase series. Smith said he enjoys it, even if it makes spring training feel different. “It’s similar,” he said. “You’re traveling during spring training, longer trips. Not as long as Japan or Korea the year before, but it’s fun. You’re playing intense games.”
This year will be different. No overseas travel, but part of Smith will miss it a little. “Going overseas is a lot of fun,” Smith said. “Japan, Korea the year before. I love doing this during spring training, and it’s good to be around other guys.”
When he talked about his own season, including that final swing that decided the World Series, he framed it around routine more than anything else. “Last year I just got in a really good spot and really good routine,” Smith said. “Really nailed down what I was trying to do in the box, specifically mechanically probably. Just found out what really worked and was really diligent. So just maintaining that.”
As for Game 7, he admitted he hasn’t sat down and watched the whole thing back, at least not yet. “I haven’t honestly rewatched it,” Smith said. “I’ve seen the highlights and stuff. I love talking to guys about different moments in that game, explaining it to people that are curious. You explain what you’re thinking, what you’re doing, how something impacted something else. It’s fun.”
The memories show up anyway, even if he isn’t replaying every pitch on a screen. “It comes back,” Smith said. “It definitely comes back. You enjoy it and you reflect on it, and that’ll definitely be a good memory.”
And when he was asked what it takes, mentally, to survive a season where the Dodgers get everyone’s best shot, Smith went right back to that steady rhythm. “You just go one day at a time,” he said. “You get in a really good routine preparing for the game, watching video, scouting, all that stuff. You just lean on your teammates.”
He described it as something you choose every day, especially when the season drags and the travel piles up. “Keep it light, have fun, embrace each and every moment, every flight,” Smith said. “Every tough day in the middle of the summer, you just embrace it all. Just lean on your teammates.”
And there will be plenty on the roster who will be leaning right back on Smith. Before we see him again in Dodger blue, Smith has an appointment in Houston. He’ll be joining the star-studded Team USA in the WBC, sharing catching duties with AL home run leader Cal Raleigh. When faced with catching the likes of Skenes, Webb, and Skubal, Smith’s going to feel right at home. After all, look what he’s got right here at home.
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