On Tuesday, Will Smith led the Nationwide League in batting.
On Wednesday, he doesn’t, however he nonetheless has a greater batting common than the man behind him.
It’s all a quirk of baseball’s guidelines, however one that might price Smith the batting title if he retains hitting and the Dodgers hold utilizing him the best way they do. We’ll clarify and exhale in a bit, however first we ought to understand the rarity of this case.
The Dodgers have been in enterprise for 142 years, and by no means has one in all their catchers gained a batting title.
Mike Piazza? Good guess.
In 1997, Piazza batted .362, however Tony Gwynn batted .372.
In 1995, Piazza batted .346, however Gwynn batted .368.
In 1996, Piazza batted .336, however Gwynn batted .353.
In main league historical past, solely 4 catchers have gained a batting title. Two of them had been Cincinnati Reds: Bubbles Hargrave (1926) and Ernie Lombardi (1938 and 1942). One is a Corridor of Famer: Joe Mauer (2006, ‘08 and ‘09). One is a Hall of Famer in waiting: Buster Posey (2012).
Posey, now the president of baseball operations for the San Francisco Giants, said one factor weighing against a catcher in the batting race is the need to not only prepare himself for a game but to prepare a revolving cast of pitchers as well.
“And, especially as you get late in the year, as much as you try to maintain your legs throughout the season, inevitably you get later in the year and your legs do start to get a little bit tired,” Posey said. “That’s the muse to hitting. So that you’re type of combating that.
“You’re additionally a foul tip away from getting one off your palms that might influence the way you grip the bat. So there’s a lot.”
The batting title was one of the vital prestigious awards within the sport. Within the analytical revolution, batting common has grow to be one thing of a misplaced statistic, sacrificed on the altar of on-base share.
Posey doesn’t fairly purchase all of this. He wouldn’t signal a participant merely due to a excessive batting common, he says, however he considers a excessive batting common a worthy statistic.
“I’m a believer in batting average,” he stated. “With that batting average, I think you’re still hoping for some impact there as well, which Will is doing with his ability to drive the ball.
“But part of my belief in batting average is that it just creates pressure on the defense, having traffic on the bases. I know that you can get there other ways, with a walk and whatnot, but it’s part of the puzzle to create pressure. I think the good teams do a nice job of having a lineup sprinkled with some of those guys that are a little bit more bat-to-ball, and then have some of their power hitters mixed in around them.”
Smith made his main league debut in 2019, the next-to-last season for Posey.
“I’ve always been a fan of Will,” Posey stated. “Playing against him, I felt like we had some similarities, because he wasn’t looking to be your best friend when you came to the plate. I kind of appreciated that about him. He was always very business.
“You could tell he wanted to do everything he could to beat you. There’s no doubt he’s been a big part of that team’s success.”
Smith is hitting .312, which might be the bottom common to win an NL batting title. On this period during which batting common is devalued and disparaged, the NL has solely three .300 hitters: Smith, teammate Freddie Freeman and the Miami Marlins’ Xavier Edwards.
Smith additionally leads the league in on-base share (.414) and ranks fourth in OPS (.930, behind Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Schwarber and Ketel Marte).
Technically, Smith doesn’t lead in these classes. Beneath Rule 9.22 (“Minimum Standards for Individual Championships”), a participant can’t qualify for a title until he averages 3.1 plate appearances per sport.
Smith batted underneath .200 in every of the three rounds of final yr’s postseason, and the Dodgers prioritized getting him further relaxation this season. Some days, he meets that common, and he reveals up among the many league leaders. Then the Dodgers give him a break day, and he doesn’t.
Smith’s efficiency would point out the additional relaxation has labored as supposed to date. Nonetheless, the remainder is primarily designed to permit Smith to play extra typically down the stretch and play extra successfully in October.
And “down the stretch” took on a extra pressing that means Tuesday, when the Dodgers fell right into a first-place tie with the San Diego Padres within the NL West. A division title is at stake, and with it the potential of a first-round playoff bye.
The groups play three video games this weekend at Dodger Stadium, three extra subsequent weekend at Petco Park. Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts stated “there’s a chance” Smith may play all three video games on a kind of weekends.
As of Wednesday, Smith initiatives to make 500 plate appearances this season. The magic quantity to qualify for the batting title: 502.
The workforce comes first, and with the Dodgers meaning preparedness for October. If Smith retains hitting, would possibly he should sacrifice an opportunity on the batting title for the nice of the workforce? I requested Roberts, and I used to be pleasantly shocked on the reply.
“He’s going to qualify. No matter what, I’ll make sure of that,” Roberts stated. “I’m going to make sure he gets enough at-bats.”
