MESA, Ariz. —
In February, the MLB Network unveiled its annual list of the top 100 active players. The Dodgers placed nine in the top 50. The ninth was catcher Will Smith at No. 50. He was the third catcher in the selective group, behind just J.T. Realmuto and Yasmani Grandal, veteran backstops who recently signed huge contracts.
But the Dodgers didn’t consider Smith the best option on their own team for the majority of their most important games in October. Austin Barnes, not Smith, started four of the Dodgers’ six World Series games behind the plate.