William Dills Smith...born in Louisville, Kentucky...married to wife, Cara and father to daughters, Charlotte and Layton...was a two-time All-State athlete as a high school upper classman before heading to the University of Louisville...started all three seasons for the Cardinals, ending his college career as the 2016 team captain with All-ACC Third Team honors and NCAA Louisville Regional All-Tournament Team recognition...selected 32nd overall in the 2016 First-Year Player Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
2024
Reliable catcher finished his sixth season with a .248 average and ranking among National League catchers in many categories such as runs (77, second), hits (118, T-second), home runs (20, second), RBI (75, second), on-base percentage (.327, third), slugging (.433, third) and doubles (24, third)...was fourth on the Dodgers in home runs and fifth in games played (128)...Named to his second consecutive All-Star game after producing a .272/.346/.492 slashline with 55 RBI...had a single in two plate appearances...Started all 16 of the Dodgers Postseason games, hitting one double, three home runs and eight RBI...Had his best month in April, slashing .337/.379/.542 in 22 games with three home runs and 19 RBI...Tallied a 33% caught stealing percentage in 73 stolen base attempts, the highest among catchers with at least 28 stolen base attempts...Blasted three home runs on July 5 against MIL, becoming the fourth Dodgers catcher to do so.
2023
Backstop played in 126 games for the Boys in Blue, finishing the season slashing .261/.359/.438 with a .797 OPS … launched 21 doubles, two triples, 19 home runs and 76 home runs while scoring a career-high 80 runs...Voted into his first All-Star game after slashing .279/.396/.494 with a .890 OPS in the first half of the season … became the third catcher to have a stolen base in an All-Star Game (Iván Rodríguez, 1998 and Tony Peña, 1982) and the first Dodger to have a stolen base in an All-Star Game since Orlando Hudson in 2009...Led all qualified NL catchers in walk rate (11.4%) and finished with the second-lowest strikeout rate (16.1%), the second-most RBI (76) and the third-most home runs (19)...Caught seven out of 63 runners stealing for a 10% caught stealing rate and only allowed two passed balls...ties for his lowest in a full season (two in 2019)...Amassed a .996 fielding percentage, committing only four errors in 973 total chances in 959.0 innings … had 32 assists in 111 games (106 starts)...Appeared in all three NLDS games against Arizona, clubbing a .417 average (5-for-12) with a double, a triple and two RBI ... started all three contests behind the dish...Was a member of Team USA at the World Baseball Classic, slashing .200/.333/.600 in three games with a double, a home run and an RBI...Launched a season-high four RBI on Opening Day against Arizona, finishing the night 3-for-4 with one run and one double … had his best offensive month in May, slashing .318/.434/.529 with a .963 OPS with three doubles, five home runs and 17 RBI … missed almost two weeks in April with a concussion … hit .303 (43- for-102) with runners in scoring position with eight doubles, four home runs and 54 RBI...smashed a .268 average off of righties compared to .240 off lefties,
2022
Hard-hitting catcher completed one of his best offensive years in the Majors, tabbing career-highs in games (107), hits (132), doubles (26), triples (three) and RBI (87)…was one shy of tying career-high in home runs (24)...Spent 109 games behind the dish, committing just three errors in 956.1 innings…was part of six double plays and 32 assists...Totaled a .260/.343/.465/.808 in 137 games…tallied a career-high 53 extra-base hits in 578 plate appearances...Set milestones in many categories, including roping homers in back-to-back games (Sept. 4-5 vs. SD), securing his fifth career walk-off hit (July 8 vs. CHC) and tying a career-high with four hits for the third time (July 15 at LAA)...One of five MLB catchers with 85 or more RBI in a year the last 10 seasons…joining Salvador Perez (2017), Gary Sanchez (2017), Brian McCann (2015) and Buster Posey (2014)...Strung together a nine-game hit streak from July 28 – Aug. 6, going 15-for-36 with four doubles, two homers and 12 RBI...Started all four Postseason games during the NLDS vs. San Diego, batting .188 (3-for-16) with two doubles and two RBI…started three of four games behind the plate...Was an incredibly dependable hitter in bases loaded situations, slashing .545/.545/.727 and a 1.272 OPS…totaled 10 RBI over 10 games in that situation Had his best offensive month in June, slashing .295/.340/.568 in 24 games with five doubles, seven home runs and 14 RBI…his 87 RBI ranked third on the team and 56 walks tied for fourth most on the Dodgers…liked hitting on the road, averaging .275 (73-for-265) with 15 doubles, 14 home runs and 44 RBI…hit well against left-handed pitching, slashing .300/.391/.517/.908 in 70 games vs. .247/.327/.448/.775 in 132 games against right-handed pitching…named as a member of Team USA for the World Baseball Classic.
2021
Backstop slashed .258/.365/.495 with a .860 OPS in 130 games, tallying career highs in multiple offensive categories: runs (71), hits (107), doubles (19), triples (2), home runs (25) and RBI (76)... Ranked third on the Dodgers in home runs (25), third in RBI (76), seventh in hits (107), seventh in doubles (19), tied for fifth in triples (2) and fifth in runs (71)... Tied his career-high in hits Sept. 7, going 4-for-4 at St. Louis with a home run and RBI with two runs…also had two five-game hit streaks, occurring from Aug. 24-30 and from Aug. 24-30…also had two streaks of three straight games with a home run (Aug. 13-15, Aug. 24-27)... Started 111 games (117 total) behind the dish, committing six errors in 1150 total chances for a .995 fielding percentage…also registered 43 assists and 3.14 catcher’s ERA... Led the National League as a catcher in putouts (1,101) and runners caught stealing (24)…also ranked amongst the NL best in games played (117, 3rd) and putouts (1,102, 4th)... Ranked second in the National League in HBP (18, 2nd)…appeared at first base (1 G) and third base (1 G) for the first time in his Major League career…roped two doubles on April 2 at Colorado, going 3-for-4 on the night with two runs and two RBI…clocked four RBI on July 16 at Colorado, going 2-for-4 with a double…performed well offensively both at home and on the road, registering a .253/.383/.527 and .263/.351/.469 slash line respectively…produced a .354 average (17-for-48) with four home runs in eight games and 10 RBI against Arizona, similarly averaging .395 (17-for-43) with four home runs and 16 RBI against Colorado…strengthened his numbers after the All-Star break, improving from a .252 (58-for-230) average with 10 home runs and 32 RBI before the Midsummer Classic to a .266 average (49-for-184) with 15 home runs and 44 RBI.
2020
Made great strides in his sophomore season, hitting .289/.401/.579 with eight homeruns…matched his 2019 total with nine doubles...Was on the 10-day injured list from Aug. 15-23 with neck inflammation...Showed greater discipline with 20 walks and 22 strikeouts...Hit .348 (23-for-66) with six doubles, four homers and 14 RBI over 18 September games… posted a 1.048 OPS in September (7th, NL)...Each of his eight home runs came against right-handed pitchers…20-of-23 career long balls have been against righties...Started 17 of 18 postseason games…during Game 3 of the NLDS, went 5-for-6 with 2 doubles and 3 singles, becoming the 9th player (1st catcher) with a 5-hit game in the postseason…the 5 hits were also a Dodger postseason record, and the most by any batter in the postseason...tied the Los Angeles franchise record for walks in a game, becoming the 12th player to walk three times in a Postseason game and first since Yasmani Grandal did so on October 7, 2018 vs. Atlanta.
2019
Completed his first Major League season roping nine doubles, 15 homers and 42 RBI at a .253/.337/.57 1 clip across 54 games….tied for 15th in homers among all rookies (10th in the NL) and ranked among the top NL rookies in runs (30, 20th) and RBI (T-14th)...Connected for a single in his first Major League at-bat during his May 28 debut vs. the Mets…ended the night going 2-for-4 with a double and became one of six Dodgers this century with at least two hits in a big-league debut, joining Rob Segedin, Corey Seager, Yasiel Puig, Russell Martin and Jason Repko...Became the first Dodger player and second MLB backstop to hit 10-plus homers through his first 25 games, joining the Yankees’ Gary Sanchez...Tied Cody Bellinger (‘ 17) and Matt Kemp (’06) for most homers through a rookie’s first 14 games (6 HR)…on Aug. 1, notched a franchise-best 19 RBI within his first 14 contest to surpass Cody Bellinger (17 RBI/14 G, ’17) in the mark…made Major League history after launching a walk-off, pinch-hit home run on June 23 to complete the trifecta of three consecutive walk-off wins via home runs by rookies Matt Beaty (June 21) and Alex Verdugo (June 22)…launched his first career walk-off homer on June 1 vs. Philadelphia…recorded a career-high three-hit, six-RBI day on July 27…became the first Dodger rookie to collect six or more RBI in a game since James Loney drove in nine on Sept. 28, 2006…amassed a nine-game hit streak from Aug. 7-21, going 11-for-30 with a pair of doubles, six homers and 12 RBI while tallying a .367/.459/1.033 slashline…during the streak, reached a franchise record for most RBI and homers through 23 career games (26RBI/9HR) on Aug. 13…tied for fourth among rookies with eight homers and 19 RBI during August…24 of his 43 hits went for extra bases…non-roster invitee during Spring Training…tallied 62 games across four stints with Triple-A Oklahoma City and slashed .268/.381/.603 with 11 doubles, a pair of triples, 20 homers and 54 RBI…finished third on the team in homers, fifth in RBI and ninth in doubles…turned in a 1.000 fielding percentage over 403.0 innings behind the plate in 46 games (45 starts)…finished atop all rookie backstops (min. 400 innings) in the category…made the Postseason roster and appeared in four of five NLDS games…tallied a hit and drew a trio of walks in 16 plate appearances.
2018
Started his season with the Double-A Tulsa Drillers, appearing in 73 total games and hitting .264 with 48 runs, 14 doubles, 19 homers and 53 RBI...Assigned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Aug. 1 where he appeared in 25 games for the OKC Dodgers...Finished his minor league season with career-highs in home runs (20), RBI (59), doubles (18) and runs (57)...Played in 49 games at catcher bet ween Tulsa and Oklahoma City…registered a career-high 43 games at third base…totaled 402.1 innings behind the plate with .995 fielding percentage (2 E/402.1 INN).
2017
Earned Mid-Season All-Star honors with Rancho Cucamonga and All-Prospect Team recognition in the Arizona Fall League...Saw action in 72 games at Advanced-A Rancho Cucamonga, slashing .232/.355/.4 48 with 15 doubles, three triples, 11 homers and 43 RBI…made a one-game appearance for Double-A Tulsa...Ranked fourth in home runs (11) at Rancho while playing in 51 fewer games than the next Quake in the category...Caught 474.0 innings and nabbed 30 of 63 on the base paths over 56 games en route to a .991 fielding percentage…notched career highs in innings (474.0), total chances (554), putouts (483) and caught stealing (30).
2016
Made stops at Short-Season Ogden (7G) and Single-A Great Lakes (23G) before ascending to Advanced-A Rancho Cucamonga for 25 games in his rookie season...Wrapped his year slashing .246/.355/.329 with five doubles, four home runs, 24 RBI over 55 total games... Defensively, accumulated a .994 fielding percentage with 4 4 assists and 296 putouts with two errors over 342 total chances…threw out 25 potential base stealers in 60 attempts.
