Will Smith is one of the most clutch players in baseball. Dodgers fans will never forget his go-ahead, three-run homer against… Will Smith… in the 2020 NLCS. The 30-year-old was one of the key players of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ championship that year and in 2024 as well. In Game 2 of the 2025 World Series, he continues that legacy when his bat gives the Dodgers the first run of Game 2 and then breaks a 1-1 tie and ends Toronto’s ace Kevin Gausman’s 17 straight batters retired streak, and at the end gives the team one more RBI single to win the game 5-1. And besides Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s complete game heroics, he is one of the main reasons the Dodgers evened the series in Game 2.

Smith’s list of heroics is long, and in March 2024 Los Angeles Dodgers rewarded him with the longest deal for a catcher in MLB history, but you know what makes Smith so unique and worthy? His humility..period.

That’s why, when he met his childhood hero, David Ortiz, who was with his Fox studio crew and other legendary players like Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter, after his clutch performance against the Blue Jays in Game 2 of the World Series, he was all humble. And where from it come from? His background..

Less than 24 hours after his first MLB hit in 2019, his mother, Julie Smith, was photographed at a local laundromat washing his laundry. From here Los Angeles Dodgers $140 million catcher belongs.. So, to understand the star, we must first meet his parents.

Who is Will Smith’s Father, Mark Smith?

Mark Smith is the man whom his son credits for his powerful work ethic. Mark was a baseball player himself at North Harrison High School and was originally from Palmyra, Indiana. This playing background helped him to guide his son’s career from the very beginning as a St. Matthew’s Little League Coach and in high school.

Though his main profession is private, he always listens to games on the MLB app while driving to Indianapolis for his job. That dedication was the biggest lesson for the Dodgers catcher, who later said, “My dad’s work ethic really rubbed off on me… It was always do the job correctly and clean up after it, whatever it is, and do it the best you can.”

Who is Will Smith’s Mother, Julie Smith?

Will’s mother, Julie Smith, is the person who shaped his quiet, analytical mind. She is originally from a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. For over 30 years, Julie has worked in education at Kentucky Country Day.

It was a private school where Will attended from kindergarten through 12th grade. And Julie, who began as a first-grade teacher, now serves as a school counselor.

Though it is not public how Mark and Julie met, they are known as “transplants” who built their family life together in Louisville. As an educator, Julie recognized her son’s unique personality early on, so she shared, “He[Will] was quiet but always listening and very observant. “He didn’t talk a lot, but when he would say something, it had a lot of impact and a lot of thoughtfulness behind what he would say.”

What Ethnicity Are Will Smith’s Parents?

Will Smith’s parents, Mark and Julie, are both American nationals; Mark Smith is a native of Palmyra, Indiana, and Julie Smith is from the suburban Cleveland, Ohio, area. And they are described as “transplants” who met and built their family in Louisville, Kentucky. Without that, there is no public information about either parent’s ethnic heritage or ancestral roots.

Will Smith’s Relationship with His Parents

It is the bedrock of Will Smith’s success. When Will was 10, he was playing with a pitch-back net and caught 299 straight throws but dropped the 300th. Instead of quitting in frustration, he started over until he caught 300 straight. This is the relentless and self-motivated work ethic his parents instilled in him.

Mark was his constant training partner, and they spent countless hours at the school across the street. Mark remembers Will’s mental toughness even when he was a 13-year-old pitcher.

In one game, Will was tipping his pitches and got so many hits, but Will came through it and never showed any emotion. This is the same poise he now shows behind the plate in the World Series.

And throughout this journey, Mark and Julie have always been his biggest supporters, and they will be. Just in case the Dodgers make a deep postseason run, they always save their vacation days all year. “We’re trying to keep it in perspective, because it’s baseball,” Mark once said. “There will be bad days… But it’s been great. Unbelievable.”