"It's definitely been a whirlwind" - Will Smith opens up on tough process of earning Clayton Kershaw's trust

Having made their MLB debuts in 2008 and 2019, respectively, starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw and catcher Will Smith have played instrumental roles in helping the LA Dodgers enjoy the success they have had over the past decade.

For teams to excel defensively, the man on the mound must share a good relationship with the man behind home plate. That chemistry is usually built naturally as both players practice together behind the scenes.

However, for Smith, earning Kershaw's trust was far from straightforward. Speaking to fellow teammate Mookie Betts on Sunday's episode of "On Base," Smith talked about the tough initial period of working with Kershaw, which he eventually got through as he got to know him better.

"It's definitely been a whirlwind, a little bit [earning Clayton Kershaw's trust]," Smith said. "He's arguably one of the best pitchers ever. When I came in as a rookie, it was tough. It was tough trying to learn him. I mean, he gets frustrated, right? We see it. That's just him competing, it's not like a personal attack or anything like that."

"It's just talking to him, trying to think what he's thinking, really understanding how his stuff plays. It's just experience. It's just being back there and seeing what he's doing, really getting an understanding how hitters react. I feel like last couple of years, we've been on the same page for the most part. We got a pretty good relationship now, it's been fun." [30:47]

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Will Smith and Clayton Kershaw will hope to end the year with another World Series

Having played key roles in helping the Dodgers win the World Series in 2020 and 2024, Will Smith and Clayton Kershaw already know the feeling of winning baseball's biggest prize quite well. However, the pair, and the rest of their Dodgers teammates, are still as hungry as ever for titles, and head into the postseason looking to go back-to-back.

Clayton Kershaw meets with catcher Will Smith on the mound during a game - Source: Getty

At the moment, the Dodgers sit joint top of their division, the NL West, tied with arch-rivals the San Diego Padres. Both teams have a 74-57 record. Though they have struggled a bit of late, they remain the bookies' favorites to go on and win it all come October.