LOS ANGELES -- Dave Roberts knows what kind of season Cal Raleigh is having. The Mariners' backstop is the first Major Leaguer to 30 homers this year, and he passed the legendary Johnny Bench for the most home runs by a primary catcher before the All-Star break.
But the Dodgers' manager -- who acknowledged that he's not exactly a neutral evaluator -- doesn't see Raleigh as the best catcher in baseball. In his eyes, that distinction belongs to Will Smith.
“Well, I'm biased, No. 1," Roberts said. "I just think that his ability to get a big hit, I think that the throwing, I think what he does with our pitchers … so that's [why], for me."
And then there's the longevity. Smith has been a top catcher in baseball for several years, but he's putting together the best first-half performance of his career. He continued to build a case to start his first All-Star Game on Saturday night, going 2-for-4 with a solo homer and a double in the Dodgers' 7-3 loss to the Nationals.
Smith has been one of the best all-around hitters in the Majors this season, let alone the National League. He is the current NL batting leader, hitting .328 at the conclusion of Saturday's action, and his .969 OPS ranks second in the Senior Circuit -- behind only Shohei Ohtani's .996.
A two-time All-Star in 2023 and '24, Smith was a reserve behind starters Sean Murphy and William Contreras, respectively. There's no clear challenger to Smith for the starting job this year, and the first All-Star Ballot voting update released last Monday reflects that. At that point, Smith led NL catchers with 1,124,629 votes, and the Cubs' Carson Kelly ranked a distant second with 408,081.
Roberts' claim -- that Smith is the best in the game -- may be the bigger debate, given what Raleigh has accomplished this season. But the Dodgers' manager was considering the bigger picture rather than this season alone.
Since 2019, the year Smith made his Major League debut, no primary catcher in the big leagues has a higher OPS than Smith's .835 (min. 502 plate appearances, the equivalent of a full season).
"He's been excellent since he got called up," said Dustin May, who tossed a quality start in Saturday's loss. "He's big in big moments, he definitely has the clutch gene and he's a very, very good baseball player."
Stats tell part of the story: Raleigh has 30 homers, and Smith has nine. Smith is outhitting Raleigh's .272 average, while Raleigh's superior slugging abilities give him the edge with a 1.026 OPS. Smith has thrown out 12 runners to Raleigh's 10.
It can be difficult for those looking from the outside in to evaluate just how valuable a catcher is. When Roberts says that Smith is the best, he's drawing on years of watching Smith go about his work with the team's pitching staff. Those in Seattle may have a similar opinion of Raleigh; that's where the bias comes in.
Still, that's why Smith is the best of the best, as far as his team is concerned.
"He's definitely at the top of the game," May said. "Raleigh's hit a lot of homers, but I mean, Will's right there with average. He's top of the league, and he's definitely one of the best behind the plate. He's a great game-caller, he's a great athlete and I love to have him on the team."
This time last year, Smith had started to fade somewhat after a hot start at the plate. He revealed this spring that he had been dealing with a bone bruise in his left ankle since June of last season, although he did not attribute his second-half trouble at the plate to the lingering injury.
That led the Dodgers to come into this season with a focus on keeping Smith fresh so that he can sustain a high level of performance over the course of a year. They're certainly reaping the benefits of a healthy, productive Smith.
And they expect him to be rewarded with a trip to Atlanta, and many more Midsummer Classics to come.
"[If] he's healthy," Roberts said, "he's a perennial All-Star."