Will Smith could win a batting title. Could the

On Tuesday, Will Smith led the National League in batting.

On Wednesday, he doesn’t, but he still has a better batting average than the man behind him.

It’s all a quirk of baseball’s guidelines, but one that could price Smith the batting title if he retains hitting and the Dodgers keep utilizing him the approach they do. We’ll clarify and exhale in a bit, but first we ought to respect the rarity of this scenario.

The Dodgers have been in business for 142 years, and never has one of their catchers received 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 historical past, only 4 catchers have received a batting title. Two of them have been 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 basis to hitting. So you’re type of combating that.

“You’re also a foul tip away from getting one off your arms that would impression how you grip the bat. So there’s a lot.”

The batting title used to be one of the most prestigious awards in the recreation. In the analytical revolution, batting average has change into one thing of a misplaced statistic, sacrificed at the altar of on-base proportion.

Posey doesn’t fairly buy all of this. He wouldn’t signal a participant merely 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 might be the lowest average to win an NL batting title. In this period 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 proportion (.414) and ranks fourth in OPS (.930, behind Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Schwarber and Ketel Marte).

Technically, Smith doesn’t lead in those classes. Under Rule 9.22 (“Minimum Standards for Individual Championships”), a participant can not qualify for a title unless he averages 3.1 plate appearances per recreation.

Smith batted under .200 in each of the three rounds of last 12 months’s postseason, and the Dodgers prioritized getting him additional relaxation this season. Some days, he meets that average, and he exhibits up among the 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 meant so far. However, the relaxation is primarily designed to permit Smith to play more often down the stretch and play more successfully in October.

And “down the stretch” took on a more pressing that means 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 risk of a first-round playoff bye.

The groups play three video games this weekend at Dodger Stadium, three more next weekend at Petco Park. Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts said “there’s a chance” Smith could play all three video games on one of those weekends.

As of Wednesday, Smith initiatives to make 500 plate appearances this season. The magic quantity to qualify for the batting title: 502.

The crew comes first, and with the Dodgers that means preparedness for October. If Smith retains hitting, would possibly he have to sacrifice a likelihood at the batting title for the good of the crew? I requested Roberts, and I used to be pleasantly shocked at the reply.

“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.”