Will Smith won the 2018 Willie Mac Award on account of how he best exemplifies the spirit and leadership shown by (Willie) McCovey throughout his long career”. If you had handicapped the race beforehand, you might have gone with Hunter Pence as a sentimental favorite, but that’s the wonder and mystique of the award: you just can’t predict what teammates and coaches might do with their votes.
Back in May, after his first appearance following Tommy John surgery, I wrote this:
I don’t know Will Smith. I like his movies and he throws 94 mph, but I have no idea if he’s a “good dude”, if he’s got a zen mindset, if he’s type-A, an asshole, etc.