2025 Fantasy Baseball: Will Smith Profile, Preview, Predictions
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Will Smith lost some of his at-bat upside after the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani. He's improved his approach over the past three years, but his home runs haven't spiked at this point of his career.
HOMERS IN FOUR STRAIGHT AT-BATS FOR WILL SMITH! pic.twitter.com/iGMl6J1tA6
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 6, 2024
C – Will Smith, LAD (ADP – 95.7)
In 2023, Smith landed on the injured list for two weeks with a concussion in April. Los Angeles gave him eight days off over their final 21 games in September to get him rested for the postseason. Over his first 280 at-bats, Smith hit .286 with 52 runs, 13 home runs, 52 RBIs, and one steal. His season ended with quiet stats over the back third of the year (.223/28/6/24/2 over 184 at-bats).
The addition of Shohei Ohtani last year closed the opportunity for Smith at DH (three games – 39 over the previous two seasons). He finished the year with competitive catcher stats in runs (77), home runs (20), and RBIs (75). The Dodgers were the second-highest-scoring team (842 runs) in 2024, but Smith came to the plate with a four-year low in RBI chances (352 – 413 in 2023, 412 in 2022, and 376 in 2021). From May to August, he hit only .205 with 46 runs, 14 home runs, and 43 RBIs over 303 at-bats.
His contact batting average (.318) was a five-year low. Smith has a regression in his favorable walk rate (9.4) with a pullback in his strikeout rate (19.3 – 16.1% in 2023). He continues to have a fly-ball swing path (47.6%), suggesting more power, but Smith saw his hard-hit rate (40.9) regress for the fourth consecutive season.
Fantasy Outlook: The foundation skill set for Smith suggests better production. The loft in his swing invites many easy outs, limiting his ceiling in batting average. He plays in an elite scoring lineup, and his price point this season is more favorable than in previous years. More of the same, with a chance push past the 25 home run mark. I view Smith as a safe, value-catching option.
RANKINGS
Top 5 Catchers|Catchers 6-10|Catchers 11-15
Top 5 First Basemen | First Basemen 6-10 | First Basemen 11-15
Top 5 Second Basemen | Second Basemen 6-10 | Second Basemen 11-15
Top 5 Shortstops | Shortstops 6-10 | Shortstops 11-15
Top 5 Third Basemen | Third Basemen 6-10 | Third Basemen 11-15
With 20+ years of experience in the high-stakes fantasy market, I aim to research and compete at the highest level in baseball and football each season. I've contributed as a writer/analyst for Sports Draft Daily, ScoutPro, Scout Fantasy, Fulltime Fantasy, FFToolbox, and Sports Illustrated Fantasy. I'm honored to be in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship Hall of Fame. My drafting philosophy is risk-averse yet open to betting on potential game-changers. I approach player selection with a neutral perspective, acknowledging that fantasy sports are inherently unpredictable due to injuries, performance dips, and managerial decisions. My work focuses on these main areas: - Season-long fantasy baseball and football - BestBall Baseball and Football Events - Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS): DraftKings, FanDuel, and Underdog - Long Shot Player Prop Parlays for NFL I participate in various leagues and contests, including NFBC, NFFC, RTSports, FFPC, DraftKings, Underdog Fantasy, FanDuel, and FFWC, with the goal of leveraging my extensive experience and research for success in each game format. A fantasy follower can expect in-depth profiles of NFL and MLB players, along with season-long and weekly projections for each fantasy football season. In addition, I have many strategy articles to help develop fantasy players' learning curves.
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