Tag: Will Smith

Dodgers Prospect Watch: What Lies Ahead for Hunter Feduccia?

Published on by Dennis Schlossman14 Comments

Several moves that could take place for the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 2024-25 offseason might very well depend on the performance of a handful of prospects on the fringe of the major leagues this year. Names like Landon Knack, Miguel Vargas, James Outman and Andy Pages may be in the spotlight right now, but one of the most overlooked positions on the team could be the catcher spot.

Seemingly, Will Smith and Austin Barnes have had a stronghold on the Los Angeles catcher spot forever now, and for good reason. Of course, Smith signed a monster contract before the season began that runs through his 2033 campaign. Smith can thank mostly his offensive prowess and his steadiness behind the plate, but the Dodgers had to have taken into consideration that Smith almost never lands on the injured list.

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Dodgers Roster: Exploring the Organizational Depth at Catcher

Published on by Dennis Schlossman4 Comments

Although 28-year-old Will Smith has a stronghold on the catching spot for at least several more seasons, 2024 could be the year we finally see a few other names emerge as a potential backup for the Los Angeles Dodgers other than Austin Barnes.

The Dodgers will feature three young catchers on the big-league side of spring training this year in Hunter Feduccia, Diego Cartaya and Dalton Rushing, all of whom could emerge as a potential replacement for Barnes.

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Dodgers Roster: Exactly How Good Is the Team Offense?

Published on by Dennis Schlossman19 Comments

Although the Los Angeles Dodgers looked sharp in the first two games coming back from the All-Star break against the New York Mets, they couldn’t seal the deal in the finale on Sunday. The bats slowed down after running into old friend Max Scherzer, and the team eventually fell in extras, 2-1.

Over the next few weeks, the summer trade deadline will dominate most of the baseball blogosphere. We’ve been talking a lot about it here, but it’s still tough to say whether Los Angeles will make any significant moves because of the organization’s reluctance to trade away any high-level talent.

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Clayton Kershaw, Will Smith Join 2023 National League All-Star Team

Published on by Dennis Schlossman1 Comment

Despite an ugly series this weekend against the lackluster Kansas City Royals — in particular the lack of offense and ineffective pitching in the finale — the was a sliver of good news for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.

The MLB named pitcher Clayton Kershaw and catcher Will Smith as All Stars, allowing them to join teammates Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez, who were all voted in as National League starters on Thursday. For the fourth straight season, the Dodgers will have five or more representatives at the game and the third-highest total of players going to Seattle, behind the Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers.

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Dodgers Prospect Watch: A Closer Look at Dalton Rushing

Published on by Dennis Schlossman14 Comments

While the Los Angeles Dodgers have had one of the league’s best overall farm systems for decades, their stronghold on blue-chip pitchers and catchers has been among baseball’s elite. There always seems to be at least a handful of pitchers and several catchers ranked in MLB’s Top 100, and there isn’t anything right now that suggests the trend will stop anytime soon.

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What Should Dodgers Expect from Catchers in 2021?

Published on by Dennis Schlossman6 Comments
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(Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports)

In many of our conversations this winter, there’s no doubt that player depth has been a central part of the discussions. Several years ago, the catching department was one of the organizational strongholds before other positions finally started to catch up. In this column, we’ll take a look at how the catchers of the Dodgers shape up today and what to conceivably expect over the next season.

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What Lies Ahead for Keibert Ruiz?

Published on by Jose G. Quevedo6 Comments

The 2020 season was quite an exciting one for the Los Angeles Dodgers on many levels. Not only did they capture their first title since 1988 with a relatively young player corps, but they also saw the debut of one of their most anticipated prospects, catcher Keibert Ruiz.

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Dodgers Roster: More Thoughts on the Options at Catcher

Published on by Dennis Schlossman22 Comments

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(Associated Press photo)

The major league arrival of Keibert Ruiz on Saturday spurred many insightful discussions among fans of the Dodgers, specifically how the team might view its situation at catcher for the next several years.

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A Glance at the Organization’s Catching Depth

Published on by Dennis Schlossman32 Comments

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(Photo Credit: Keith Birmingham/SCNG)

As the 2020 roster conjecture is just beginning to heat up, one of the early conversations stirring surrounds how the Dodgers might handle the future duties at catcher.

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Lux, Smith Make Remarkable Jump from Minors to NLDS Playoff Roster

Published on by Dennis Schlossman10 Comments

away
(Los Angeles Times photo)

At the beginning of 2019 spring training, no one knew for sure who would be patrolling the keystone for the Dodgers by the time Opening Day rolled around. Many felt that it would be a combination of players. Enrique Hernandez and Chris Taylor would battle it out for the bulk of playing time while Max Muncy—who was considered a defensive liability by many—was also in the mix for reps.

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