Sunday, February 22, 2026
Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2026

On a picturesque Sunday afternoon in Peoria, Arizona, the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres 5-to-1.

Since June 2019, Will Smith has been a mainstay in the Dodger lineup.

Is Smith flashy?

No. He is predictable, but he just keeps doing his job. Like Sunday, Dodger media and fans were concentrating on Kyle Tucker, the newest Dodger, making his Dodger debut. Undoubtedly, Tucker will make a significant impact on the 2026 Dodgers. Nevertheless, Smith singled in the first run of the game.

However, without Smith, the Dodgers aren’t the Dodgers.

Smith is playing for Team United States in the World Baseball Classic, so he will be leaving for the WBC in ten days or so. The Dodgers will miss him while he is representing the United States.

Smith caught all the innings in the 2025 World Series and hit the winning home run of Game 7 of the incredible Series. But people are paying more attention to Miguel Rojas, whose home run tied up the score in the ninth.

Does Smith mind the lack of attention?

No. He prefers it.

Since Smith has ice water running in his veins, he constantly gets game-changing hits in crucial situations. Consistently, Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Teoscar Hernández overshadow Smith, but Smith enabled the Dodgers to win back-to-back World Championships.

Defensively, Smith handles the Dodger pitching staff. Every year, it seems that the Dodgers use about forty pitchers, and he has no difficulty handling them. He works with pitchers who speak Japanese and Spanish only.

His defense can change a game. Smith frequently throws out an important base runner in a crucial part of the game. In 2025, he threw out 27.2% of potential base stealers. He knows how to block a ball in the dirt, a rare skill nowadays, so he has no hesitation in calling a curveball or split-finger in an important situation.

With a roster filled with superstars, Smith may be the most important Dodger to the upcoming season’s success.