Stop us if you’ve heard this before: the White Sox have drafted a left-handed power pitcher in the first round.
With the fifth pick of the 2024 MLB Draft, the White Sox selected Arkansas LHP Hagen Smith.
The consensus top left-handed pitcher in this draft, Hagen Smith ranks right up there with Chase Burns and is seen as a near-lock to be drafted in the top 10 of this upcoming draft. He posted an incredible 17.5 strikeouts per nine innings and held a 1.48 ERA, leading to being named the SEC Pitcher of the Year.
Smith’s success can be credited to his elite fastball/slider combo, in which both pitches earn plus-double plus marks. The fastball sits in the upper 90s and is hard to read with his unorthodox delivery. The slider might be an even better pitch, sitting in the mid-upper 80s and having plenty of movement. He also can use a splitter, and while it is behind his other two pitches, it has some intriguing upside moving forward if he continues to develop it. He commands his pitches relatively well and has a chance to develop into a frontline starter when it is all said and done.
Smith is not yet 21 years old, and he has already had Tommy John Surgery (back in his final season of high school). ESPN and Jeff Passan also believe that Hagen Smith could be the first player from this draft to appear in the major leagues, likening the situation to one similar to what the White Sox did with Garrett Crochet. The latest rumors have centered on the White Sox trading Erick Fedde and the aforementioned Crochet for bats in return packages, so it appears the White Sox are doubling down on the thing they do best: develop pitching.
More information to come on future picks!
Follow us @SoxOn35th and @PipelineTo35th for more throughout the season!
Featured Image: Syndication: Tuscaloosa News
