Because of the rules on plate appearances, Will Smith could fall just short of the number needed to win the batting title.
On Tuesday, Will Smith led the National League in batting.
On Wednesday, he does not, but he still has a better batting average than the guy behind him.
It’s all a quirk of baseball’s rules, but one that could cost Smith the batting title if he keeps hitting and the Dodgers keep using him the way they do. We’ll explain and exhale in a bit, but first we ought to appreciate the rarity of this situation.
The Dodgers have been in business for 142 years, and never has one of their catchers won a batting title.
Mike Piazza? Good guess.
In 1997, Piazza batted .362, but Tony Gwynn batted .372.
In 1995, Piazza batted .346, but Gwynn batted .368.
In 1996, Piazza batted .336, but Gwynn batted .353.
In major league history, only four catchers have won a batting title. Two of them were Cincinnati Reds: Bubbles Hargrave (1926) and Ernie Lombardi (1938 and 1942). One is a Hall 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 foundation to hitting. So you’re kind of combating that.
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“You’re also a foul tip away from getting one off your hands that would impact how you grip the bat. So there is a lot.”
The batting title used to be one of the most prestigious awards in the game. In the analytical revolution, batting average has become something of a lost statistic, sacrificed at the altar of on-base percentage.
Posey does not quite buy all of this. He would not sign a player simply because of a high batting average, he says, but he considers a high batting average a worthy statistic.
“I’m a believer in batting average,” he said. “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 major league debut in 2019, the next-to-last season for Posey.
“I’ve always been a fan of Will,” Posey said. “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 would be the lowest average to win an NL batting title. In this era in which batting average is devalued and disparaged, the NL has only three .300 hitters: Smith, teammate Freddie Freeman and the Miami Marlins’ Xavier Edwards.
Smith also leads the league in on-base percentage (.414) and ranks fourth in OPS (.930, behind Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Schwarber and Ketel Marte).
Technically, Smith does not lead in those categories. Under Rule 9.22 (“Minimum Standards for Individual Championships”), a player cannot qualify for a title unless he averages 3.1 plate appearances per game.
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Smith batted under .200 in each of the three rounds of last year’s postseason, and the Dodgers prioritized getting him extra rest this season. Some days, he meets that average, and he shows up among the league leaders. Then the Dodgers give him a day off, and he does not.
Smith’s performance would indicate the extra rest has worked as intended so far. However, the rest is primarily designed to allow Smith to play more often down the stretch and play more effectively in October.
And “down the stretch” took on a more urgent meaning Tuesday, when the Dodgers fell into a first-place tie with the San Diego Padres in the NL West. A division title is at stake, and with it the possibility of a first-round playoff bye.
The teams play three games this weekend at Dodger Stadium, three more next weekend at Petco Park. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said “there’s a chance” Smith could play all three games on one of those weekends.
As of Wednesday, Smith projects to make 500 plate appearances this season. The magic number to qualify for the batting title: 502.
The team comes first, and with the Dodgers that means preparedness for October. If Smith keeps hitting, might he have to sacrifice a chance at the batting title for the good of the team? I asked Roberts, and I was pleasantly surprised at the answer.
“He’s going to qualify. No matter what, I’ll make sure of that,” Roberts said. “I’m going to make sure he gets enough at-bats.”
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Category: General Sports
