Struggling Austin Barnes on the Mind of Top LA Exec

Austin Barnes has been very productive since making his MLB debut with the Dodgers in 2015.

He received more consistent playing time with LA in the 2017 season, and gained a reputation as a good game caller behind the plate with a decent enough bat to be a true option in the major leagues. He's never been a star, but his ability to put up solid at-bats on a regular basis had been good enough for the Dodgers.

Barnes began to take a turn for the worse in 2021, though, and after two straight seasons with an average sitting in the .210's with not enough power to make up for it — and the emergence of Will Smith — Barnes took on a new role as LA's backup catcher. The feeling around the then-32 year old was that he would still be a good depth piece at a crucial position.

Then 2023 came around, and it's all come crashing down for Barnes.

After a positive World Baseball Classic where he hit .278 with a .409 on-base percentage for Mexico, it's been the polar opposite for the catcher in his ninth MLB season.

He's been statistically the worst hitter in the majors this season, hitting at a .104/.186/.123 clip over 36 games entering Tuesday, and it's reached a point where he's now a detriment to the Dodgers' lineup.

And President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman is noticing.

“We’ve all loved what Austin Barnes can do,” Friedman said. “Four months ago in the World Baseball Classic, he was really good. It’s not like drawing back to years ago. With that, and I know nobody feels it more than Austin does, it’s getting him to exhale and just go out and play the game like he can. Obviously, it’s an area that we have to evaluate.” (via Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times)

Hopefully Barnes is able to find his swing again over the coming months and show once again that he can be a productive player in All-Star Will Smith's stead. But if he can't, the Riverside native may just find himself continuing his career elsewhere, with the Dodgers making a move at the trade deadline for another backup catcher.