During the 2020 Postseason, Will Smith announced himself to a national audience by going 5-for-6 in the Division Series clincher against the Padres and then hitting a three-run homer in Game 5 of the NLCS against the Braves. Since then, Will has continued to make his mark on baseball. He has been named to three All-Star teams (2023-25), while weaving himself into the fabric of October baseball as a starter on three World Series championship teams. In the 2025 World Series, Will delivered one of the defining moments of his career, hitting the game-winning home run against Toronto in the 11th inning of Game 7.
In 2024, Will signed a 10-year contract with the Dodgers, one that will keep him in Los Angeles through the 2033 season. The deal with the Club helped cement and grow what’s important to Will: family, stability, winning and, along with his wife, Cara, becoming an important part of the Los Angeles community.
For Will , that commitment to community began early in his Major League career. In 2021, during his third season in the Major Leagues, Will and Cara founded the Catching Hope Foundation with a mission to help underserved youth develop the critical skills needed for leadership, self-advocacy and self-sufficiency. Through educational and athletic opportunities, Catching Hope works to equip young people with the tools necessary to achieve long-term success.
What began as a desire to give back has grown into a sustained commitment to investing in young people and strengthening communities. Through Catching Hope, Will and Cara have consistently chosen to be personally involved -- not simply lending their names to charitable causes, but investing their time, resources and energy in the people and schools they serve.
Through the foundation’s efforts, Will and Cara have partnered with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF), UCLA Health and several other partners to provide education support, mental health and nutrition support, as well as equipment and monetary support to ensure youth have access to the resources they need to succeed.
In 2024, Catching Hope expanded its commitment to sustained community engagement through a season-long partnership with Clifford Elementary School. What began with an LA Reads Storytime at a local elementary school grew into a partnership that spanned two school years and culminated with the permanent creation of an innovative outdoor literacy space as part of the 2024 World Series Legacy Initiative in partnership with the Dodgers and MLB. Rather than a one-time World Series legacy project, in partnership with the Dodgers and LADF, Will committed to additional legacy projects and in 2025 unveiled two additional outdoor literacy areas at Manhattan Place Elementary School in South Los Angeles and Langdon Elementary School in the San Fernando Valley. Will and the Catching Hope Foundation invested in all three schools throughout the year, building meaningful relationships with students, teachers and families while helping create a stronger educational environment. Will would go on to make this commitment to L.A. schools an annual tradition, whereby Will and Cara work directly with local school districts to identify schools facing the greatest challenges from low literacy rates to percentage of students below the poverty line, to schools devastated by natural disasters.
The Catching Hope Foundation created the annual Catching Hope Community Clinic in partnership with the Dodgers. This now annual tradition hosts one elementary school annually for a day of health and wellness, science and fun at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium. In addition, students and their families are invited to attend a game annually and go home with equipment and gifts courtesy of Will and the Catching Hope Foundation.
Following the wildfires in January 2025, Will and Cara partnered with the Los Angeles Unified School District Foundation and the Pasadena Unified School District Foundation to donate proceeds from the auction of the 2024 final out ball. The auction raised $180,000 which Will and Cara then donated to support the districts most impacted by the wildfires.
In April 2026, Will visited one of the schools shortly after it reopened. Marquez Charter Elementary School burned down during the Palisades fires, but in January 2026, students were able to return to campus in temporary buildings. To restore a sense of community, in partnership with the Dodgers, Will joined students to unveil custom-designed art installations intended to brighten the campus and help restore a sense of community. Will participated in a recess takeover, spending time with students through interactive activities designed to inspire joy, resilience and connection as the students and staff continued to rebuild.
Will has also found creative ways to use his platform to support the Catching Hope Foundation. Beginning in 2024, in partnership with Netflix Is A Joke, Will launched his now annual Dodgers Comedy Night, bringing together players, comedians and fans for an evening of entertainment and fundraising.
Throughout his Dodgers career, Will has embraced the organization’s commitment to serving others. He has visited children in hospitals, participated in youth baseball clinics, recognized educators and given his time to numerous charitable events. Whether through Catching Hope or his work with the Dodgers, Will understands that professional athletes have a unique ability to inspire others. He uses that platform to promote perseverance, teamwork, education and service -- not only through his words, but through his actions.
Will’s commitment to giving back with both his time and resources has become an integral part of who he is as a player, teammate and member of the Los Angeles community. While continuing to excel on the baseball field, he has grown into a respected clubhouse and community leader, using his platform to invest in young people, educators and communities in both Los Angeles and Louisville, Kentucky.
Will ’s combination of achievement and service makes him a compelling candidate for the 2026 Roberto Clemente Award. Like Clemente, Will understands that the privilege of playing Major League Baseball carries a responsibility to improve the lives of others. Through the Catching Hope Foundation, he has turned that belief into sustained action, building a legacy that extends well beyond championships and memorable moments in October, a legacy measured by the lives he is helping to improve.
