Dodgers News: Austin Barnes Gets a Special Shout Out from WBC Teammate

Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes gets a nice shoutout from Patrick Sandoval.

The game calling prowess of Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes is a thing of legend in some circles of fans. You might even find some folks that think LA doesn't win the World Series in 2020 without Barnesy essentially taking over as the primary catcher while the second year Will Smith was left to focus on the offensive side of things as the DH.

Will has grown in his game calling since then but Austin still is a certified star when it comes to commanding a game from behind the dish. There's a reason why he's been Clayton Kershaw's primary receiver for years. But, if you need more proof, look back at Mexico's victory over Team USA in Sunday night's WBC game.

After the game, media spoke with Team Mexico starting pitcher Patrick Sandoval and he was quick to credit Austin Barnes for all of his success.

"I give all the credit in the world to Austin Barnes back there behind the plate. Helped me tremendously. Going over the scouting report with him, and executing a gameplan for three innings. ...All the praise in the world to him, to Austin Barnes."

Patrick Sandoval on his outing: "I give all the credit in the world to Austin Barnes back there behind the plate. Helped me tremendously. Going over the scouting report with him, and executing a gameplan for three innings. ...All the praise in the world to him, to Austin Barnes.

— Jorge Castillo (@jorgecastillo) March 13, 2023

Barnes came to the Dodgers as part of Andrew Friedman's first move as the new president of baseball operations in LA. In his 8 seasons in blue, the offensive numbers aren't the prettiest. He owns a lifetime .225 average and has just 32 home runs over the course of his career. But where Austin makes his mark is with the pitching staff.

Last year, the Dodgers lead all of baseball in team ERA and have accomplished that feat for four consecutive seasons. Barnes plays a huge role in that success whether he's on the field or just helping in daily scouting meetings with the staff.

His Dodgers teammates appreciate everything he does on and off the field. It's nice to see Angels' pitcher Patrick Sandoval feels the same way.