On Wednesday, he does not, but he still has a better batting average than the guy behind him.
It’s all a quirk of baseball’s rules, but one that could cost Smith the batting title if he keeps hitting and the Dodgers keep using him the way they do. We’ll explain and exhale in a bit, but first we ought to appreciate the rarity of this situation.
The Dodgers have been in business for 142 years, and never has one of their catchers won a batting title.
Mike Piazza? Good guess.
In 1997, Piazza batted .