Amid resurgent year and batting title push, Will Smith unbothered being ‘overlooked’

Atlanta – The hierarchy of the stars was obvious even in table arrangements.

During a media day event of the star match on Monday at Roxy Coca-Cola Theater in Atlanta, the five representatives of the Dodgers All-Star were in the same region of the Grand Site.

In the first row, lounging under large spotlights near a raised scene, Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Clayton Kershaw were positioned before and in the center, which should attract as many journalists as retractable strings bordered the perimeter of their podiums.

Several feet behind them, in the shadow of an overhang of balcony, Satch Will Smith and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

An obvious list followed by a clear B group.

And even then, where the contingent of the Yamamoto media extended several rows of depth, Smith has rarely swollen beyond a few people.

He was a third All-Star, a starter of the national league and competitor of the title of striker-once again relegated to the background of public awareness of sport.

“He is up there with regard to negligence,” said Dave Roberts, Dodgers and Skipper of NL All-Star, about his net of net of always but easily forgotten. “You know what you are going to get, but you probably don’t like it as much as you should.”

Appreciated, Smith was not this year. Not completely, at the very least.

By entering the stars break, the 30 -year -old slugger is a leader far from the Bâton NL, sporting a brand of .323 which exceeds the next closest qualified striker (his recently sagged teammate, Freeman) by 26 points.

Smith also has 12 circuits, 46 products produced and one .965 OPS (which only follows its two -way teammate, Ohtani) in addition to a 15% walking rate (fifth best in the league).

According to the WRC + WRC + metric of Fangraphs, only the superstar of the Yankees Aaron, the judge and the receiver of the sailors, Cal Raleigh, was more productive strikers this season.

And he did everything while passing a pitch staff of Dodgers struck, helping to keep the team at the top of the NL West despite that he used 35 different arms during the first half.

“For him, go there, catch these guys, have your team first, then hit. 325, I don’t think people pay attention,” said Freeman on Monday, watching a forest of journalists to have a glimpse of Smith over his shoulder. “People will listen to the stars’ game, they will throw his numbers on television, and they will say to themselves:” Whoa, it’s a very good season. “”

But so as Smith played, the seven -year -old veteran remains somewhat obscured by public spotlights.

He is, as Roberts is joking, the most “vanilla” of the collection of projector talents of the team. He has no breathtaking protruding facts like Ohtani. He has no moment of the signature World Series like Freeman. He does not enter a new position such as Mookie Betts. And even when it is invaded by journalists around the stadium, it is generally to ask questions about the capture of the Japanese trio of the Dodgers of Ohtani, Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki.

“Honestly, I don’t care,” he said on Monday. “This thing has never been important to me. Being” the guy “or not, all this. I present myself, play baseball every day, I try to help the team win, to try to be a good teammate, to try to direct the launchers and, finally, to try to win a world series every year. This is what is important for me.”

This year, Smith was elected for the first time by stars by fans. But, it is not even the most spoken to catcher during this week’s festivities in Atlanta, overshadowed again by Raleigh and its 38 home circuits in the first half – affectionately known the switger under the name of “Big Dumper”, which also won the Home Run derby on Monday evening, the best receiver of baseball in the eyes of a lot of sport.

“Will is always a little really under the radar, for any reason,” said Kershaw. “It was incredible for us, in a really important and very demanding position.”

For Smith, the real joy of this year was simply his health.

Two years ago, he whipped powerfully in the second half of 2023 (ending the year with a .797 OPS) while fighting a broken coast he had suffered in April. This spring, Roberts revealed that the disappointing performance of Smith in 2024 (when he published more career with an average of .248 and 0.760 Ops) was hampered by an ankle injury which again tormented its performance in the second half.

“In the past two years, I have, no major things, but difficult injuries,” said Smith. “But it’s my decision to play through them.”

Now, however, he is back with full physical capacity, allowing him to work (he has almost as many walks, 45 years old, as stick withdrawals, 55), punishing the fast balls (a land he has fought over the last two years) and maintaining the most coherent production of all strikers in the Dodgers Juggert range.

“I just feel like I have a very good understanding of my swing right now,” said Smith. “It’s a long season, it comes and goes. But for any reason this year, I was able to keep it more than I did. So, it’s fun. C loiling hitting coaches too for keeping me in this place. I just have a very good understanding of what I do up.”

In his typically modest way, Smith has circumvented a question about his chances of winning the title of striker, something that no recipient has done since Buster Posey in 2012.

“I have never been the type to continue prices or anything,” he said. “I think when you do this, it’s probably not going to you, you put too much pressure [on yourself]. So, just trying to have a good at-bat at a time, help the team win that day. »»

At his current rate, he could also be a recipient of MVP votes for the first time in his career, although the careful management of the Dodgers of his playing time left him the ninth in the NL in victories above the replacement to this point, according to Fangraphs.

“What he is doing is Buster Posey-ish, Joe Mauer-ish,” said Freeman, quoting the only other safety net this century with a hitting title (Mauer won three with Minnesota in the late 2000s). “When you run the league by striking and catching, it’s really difficult to make. You call games. It is almost as if it was more worried about setting up a zero than hitting.”

Over time, Freeman believes, Smith’s Q note will continue to increase, especially if he continues to reproduce the type of figures he posted this season.

“I think it may be taking a few times a few times [being here at the All-Star Game]”Said Freeman.” We all know in Los Angeles how special he is. Obviously, the front office has extended it for 10 years. So, I now hope he starts in the star match, he will get this national recognition. »»

But even if he does not do it, he hardly seems embarrassed by his status of second level (and, Monday, second row).

“I just think it is resolved not to have to be at the forefront,” said Roberts. “He never self -helps. He does not need notoriety or attention. He just wants to win. Some players prosper by attracting attention. He is certainly not one of those guys.”