There hasn’t been much to get excited about as a White Sox fan, but Hagen Smith is looking to change that. When the White Sox took Smith with the 5th pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, many people were shocked, as it seemed certain the White Sox were going to select a position player. However, despite the White Sox having an already strong pitching pipeline in the minor leagues, they felt that they couldn’t pass up a player of Smith’s caliber.
While adding a young hitter to the White Sox pipeline seemed to be a necessity, Hagen Smith is looking to prove he was indeed too good to pass up. After throwing a few short outings in the Arizona Complex league, the White Sox felt he was ready to go straight to High-A Winston-Salem.
On Saturday, Smith proved why he was the 5th overall pick, as he was just about as dominant as you could be in your first ever minor league start.
In three innings, Smith struck out four batters while giving up just two hits. He never got into any real trouble, as he struck out back to back batters with runners on second and third. Smith looked extremely comfortable out there on the mound, as if it was his 10th minor league start rather than his first.
Smith has a mid to high 90s fastball that catches up to the hitters very quickly as he comes from a funky 3/4ths ish throwing motion. As you can see above, he was able to get three strikeouts with his fastball, as the hitters looked extremely lost. It looks like his fourth strikeout came on a slider as he got the batter to chase. Smith has an insane arsenal that looks almost major league ready.
The fact that Smith started in High-A shows how highly the White Sox think of him. If he finishes up the season strong, he could see himself starting 2025 in AA Birmingham. That could put him on the fast track to the major leagues in either late 2025 or early 2026.
If the White Sox end up trading Garret Crochet, they have his replacement waiting for him in Hagen Smith. Noah Schultz will join Smith in that rotation as well, as they are the number one and two ranked left handed pitching prospects, according to MLB Pipeline.
However, if the White Sox keep Crochet, they could have one of the best lefty trios in the MLB. A rotation headed by Crochet, Smith, and Schutlz would be a nightmare for opposing teams, as all three have elite strikeout stuff. That would be the dream, but the White Sox seem intent on moving Crochet in the offseason.
While it is still just one start, Smith has given White Sox fans a glimpse of what he can do. He will strikeout a ton of batters while keeping guys off the bases. If the White Sox can continue their development of young pitching, Smith looks to be the next ace of the White Sox.
