Dodgers: 4 players who could be first-time All-Stars in 2021

3. Will Smith

The Los Angeles Dodgers already have one of the best hitting catchers in baseball

Will Smith is already playing at an All-Star level. All he has to do is continue playing the way he has played thus far and he is almost a lock to get into the Midsummer Classic. Smith’s arrival in the big leagues was not expected to be this impactful, as he was not even the best catching prospect in the farm (sorry, Keibert Ruiz).

Smith jumped into the scene in 2019 with several clutch hits on the Los Angeles Dodgers, eventually slugging his way into a prominent role with the team. He became the team’s starting catcher in 2020 and his bat was so valuable that Dave Roberts was willing to take the risk of starting Smith at DH when Austin Barnes was behind the plate.

The Dodgers had no other catcher on the roster.

Smith has not become an All-Star yet as the stars simply have not aligned. He came into the league late in 2019 and 2020 did not have an All-Star Game — otherwise, he probably would have made it.

In his 91 games played thus far, Smith has slugged 23 home runs with 67 RBI, a .268 batting average and a .937 OPS. His 162-game pace is absurd for a catcher, as he is on pace for 41 home runs and 119 RBI in 162 games. Only six catchers in the history of baseball have had a 40 home run/100 RBI season. The last was Javy Lopez in 2003.

Those are very high numbers for Smith to hit, and there naturally will be some season-long fatigue. However, if Smith plays in 130 games, then he is likely going to slug 25-30 home runs with 75-90 RBI. That is what an All-Star catcher looks like.