Cody Snavely
Continuing with our DodgersBeat Position Preview is catcher, who is expected to be held down by Will Smith and veteran backstop Austin Barnes for the fifth straight season. However, with the emergence of young Dalton Rushing in the minor leagues, we could see him break with the team this season.
Can the Fresh Prince Overcome His Second Half Blues?
Historically, the catching position has always been one of the deepest parts of the Dodgers, and that is no different than this current era of Dodger baseball, with Will Smith now at the forefront of that.
Smith has been one of the best catchers in Major League Baseball since making his debut during the 2019 regular season. After his rookie year, Smith became the full-time starting catcher during the 2020 season, and the rest has been history.
Prior to the start of the 2024 regular season, Smith and the Dodgers agreed on a massive 10-year, $140 million contract extension, and for the first half of the season, he lived up to it. Smith hit a combined .272/.346/.492 with a .838 OPS and 134 wRC+, earning him an all-star nod.
However, in the second half and October, Smith’s offense declined significantly, with a combined .206/.295/. 331 slash line, .626 OPS, and 78 wRC+, including a .143 average in the postseason. Overall, Smith was an above-average offensive catcher, with a 2024 wRC+ of 111, twenty home runs, seventy-five RBIs, and an above-league-average OPS of .760.
Despite the up-and-down offensive numbers, Smith improved significantly behind the plate as one of the better defensive catchers in the sport, especially regarding stealing runners. Smith ranked in the 100th percentile in Caught Stealing Above Average, throwing out thirty-two would-be base stealers and a .992 fielding percentage in 1051.1 innings behind the plate.
Looking forward to the upcoming 2025 season, FanGraphs projects a great season with Smith improving his offensive numbers with a .251/.339/.436 slash line, .775 OPS, and 117 wRC+, but the biggest question for the Dodgers and Smith is how they’ll manage his workload and prevent a second-half slip.
Barnes Will Serve as the Backup Once Again
It may come as a surmise to some Dodgers fans, but Austin Barnes is now the longest active position player on the Dodgers, as the 2025 season will be his 11th season in Dodger Blue.
Like the last few years, Barnes will serve as Will Smith’s backup catcher, getting a spot start throughout the week, a few at-bats off the bench, and mentoring and coaching the young pitchers on the staff.
The return of Clayton Kershaw also means the return of their dynamic duo. When the veteran lefty returns to the mound, it will come as no surprise who will be acting for him, as Barnes has become what I referred to as a “personal catcher.”
Still, in Barnes’s limited role last season, he put up one of his better seasons offensively, hitting .264/.331/.307 with an 86 wRC+ in just 140 at-bats, which is tough to do in such a small sample size.
Defensively, while he is no longer the best catcher on the Dodgers, Barnes still ranked in the 85th percentile in Blocks Above Average and, as mentioned above, has helped the entire Dodgers pitching staff off the field.
FanGraphs 2025 projections predict more of the same for Barnes with a .218/.296/.313 slash line, .609 OPS, 76 wRC+ in what could be the last season of his career after the Dodgers picked up his 1-year, $3.5 million club option in November.
Other Options
Internally, if something were to happen to either Austin Barnes or Will Smith, the first in line to replace them would be minor league catcher Hunter Feduccia, who got a taste of Major League action last season, hitting .333 with a .760 OPS in twelve at-bats.
Feduccia, 27, is the only other catcher on the Dodgers 40-man roster, and last season in Triple-A OKC, the six-year minor league vet had a .284/.409/.428 slash line and a .837 OPS.
Another option the Dodgers can call on is top minor league catching prospect Dalton Rushing, who is poised to make his Major League debut at some point this season.
Rushing is not yet on the Dodgers 40-man roster but will be seen as a non-roster invitee at camp. Last season, Rushing smashed through the minor league levels, advancing from Double-A to Triple-A before the season’s end.
Overall, Rushing hit .271/.384/.512 with a .896 OPS (.906 OPS in Triple-A) and made the 2024 All-Prospect Second Team, an award voted on by players and coaches around the sport. The Dodgers have instructed Rushing to focus on his catching this spring, but the top prospect was also seen at first base and spent time in left field last season in an effort to get him to the Major Leagues faster.
DodgersBeat Grade B+
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