Dodgers' Will Smith makes big announcement ahead of World Series

The cheering area for Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith just got a little bigger — and a lot cuter — with the birth of his second child.

Will and his wife Cara welcomed their daughter Layton Elizabeth on Tuesday, October 22nd. The excited parents shared the news on Instagram on Wednesday.

Will and Cara, both 29, introduced Layton to the world by sharing their daughter's first photo on Instagram, complete with her full name and date of birth.

Smith began the season as the best catcher in baseball, launching 15 home runs by the All-Star break and boasting an OPS of .838. However, his performance dipped in the second half, where he hit just five home runs and his OPS dropped to .626 over the final 48 games of the regular season.

Despite these challenges, Smith remained calm and did not panic. He acknowledged the Dodgers' decision to move him to No. 8 in the lineup due to his lack of production.

Instead of sulking, Smith took the opportunity to improve by dedicating extra time to batting practice in the days leading up to the game, focusing on hitting toward the opposing field and up the middle. His hard work paid off immediately when he hit a four-run, two-run home run off Phil Maton in the Dodgers' four-run third inning in Game 6, which ultimately had a significant impact on the game.

“I wanted to stay here to win a World Series, win multiple World Series,” said Smith, who signed a 10-year extension earlier this season. “I felt like I had the best chance here. Luckily, the Dodgers gave me a chance. This year we have a chance to win it. We still have a lot to do.”

Game 1 of the World Series against the New York Yankees takes place on Friday evening, with first pitch scheduled for 5:08 PT.

In the last two years, the Dodgers earned first-round byes but were eliminated in the following division series against lesser NL West opponents. This October, players felt that their success would depend largely on how they used the five days between the end of the regular season and the start of the postseason.

Read more: Max Muncy reveals how the Dodgers used the 5-day break differently this year

The Dodgers and Yankees have faced each other in the World Series 12 times, making it the most common championship matchup in major professional sports, tied with the NBA's Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers. Their last meeting was in 1981, which the Dodgers won – before that, the Yankees had won in 1977 and 1978. Before the Dodgers moved from Brooklyn to the West Coast in the late 1950s, the two teams shared the New York City stage for decades.

Photo credit: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

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