Dalton Rushing got his first taste of the major leagues last season, and all of its ups and downs. Now, he heads into potentially his first full season in the majors.
As the backup to Will Smith, it’d be tough for anyone to find a rhythm at the plate playing once or twice per week behind the plate. That proved true for Rushing last year, hitting just .204/.258/.324 with a 37.4-percent strikeout rate in 155 plate appearances. His highest strikeout rate in the minors was only 21.5 percent, in Triple-A
Oklahoma City before his call-up in 2025.
Dalton Rushing as a professional
- 2022: Class-A (all but two games), 134 PA, 213 wRC+
- 2023: High-A, 381 PA, 147 wRC+
- 2024: Double-A & Triple-A, 503 PA, 146 wRC+
- 2025: Triple-A, 149 PA, 143 wRC+
- 2025: MLB, 155 PA, 62 wRC+
Rushing’s calling card has always been his bat, and he found time in the minors to get more reps at the plate by playing first base, designated hitter, and sometimes left field in addition to catching. Now on the Dodgers, he joins a depth chart with those positions suitably filled, with Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman plus Kyle Tucker and Teoscar Hernández in the corners.
Katie Woo at The Athletic on Friday wrote about some spring storylines, including a bit about Rushing’s role:
Rushing is in line to be the backup catcher behind Will Smith again, but Roberts would like to find ways to get Rushing more at-bats. That could mean using Rushing at first base on days when Freeman needs a spell. The outfield, Roberts said, will not be an option for Rushing.
Ohtani started 317 of 324 games at designated hitter the last two seasons, and while Freeman has been an ironman for most of his career, his last two seasons have proven more challenging. Freeman started 147 games in 2024, and 145 games in 2025.
That still leaves some time at first base for Rushing to at least occasionally play. Last season he played eight games and 28 total innings at the position with the Dodgers, but his lone start at first came in the final weekend of the season, the day after the team clinched the division.
Today’s question is how many non-catcher starts will Dalton Rushing make in 2026?
