Will Smith names the most challenging Dodgers pitchers to catch, and it's not Shohei Ohtani or Clayton Kershaw

LA Dodgers catcher Will Smith has caught balls from Clayton Kershaw, a potential first-ballot Hall of Famer, as well as two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani and two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell.

However, when asked who was the hardest pitcher to catch, he did not name any of the three.

Smith, who signed a 10-year extension for $140 million in 2024, told MLB Network on Wednesday:

"The hardest guys to catch for me are probably Glasnow and Dustin May—just nasty stuff, throwing hard. Yeah, those two guys, probably.

The Dodgers have a loaded starting rotation heading into the 2025 season. Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki were added in the offseason. Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow are expected to lead the rotation. Veteran southpaw Clayton Kershaw will be in business too, while Shohei Ohtani will return to the mound after missing the 2024 season.

In December, Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes confirmed the club is considering going with a six-man rotation instead of a traditional five-man system. The team, which has the best odds to repeat as champions, suffered several pitching injuries down the stretch.

Thus, the Dodgers want to make sure they have enough backup in case something similar happens again in 2025.

Will Smith set to make 2025 spring training debut on Friday

Will Smith wasn't available to start spring training for the Dodgers last week due to a persistent right ankle injury.

However, he will appear alongside Shohei Ohtani against the LA Angels on Friday.

Assuming Smith has recovered fully from his injury, he may suit up during the two-game series between the Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo on March 18 and 19.

Smith played 128 regular-season games in 2024, slashing .248/.327/.433 with an OPS of .760 and a WAR of 3.5. He had 20 home runs and 75 RBIs.