(670 The Score) White Sox director of amateur scouting Mike Shirley believes newly drafted left-hander Hagen Smith could be on the fast track to the big leagues.
The White Sox selected the 20-year-old Smith with the No. 5 overall pick in the first round of the MLB Draft on Sunday. They did so as Smith is coming off a dominant season in which he was named the National Pitcher of the Year in college baseball.
“We have to take care of Hagen,” Shirley said on the Mully & Haugh Show on Wednesday morning. “He has to be brought up. He has to be put in a great situation to have a great major league career. But his tools, his talent, the makeup, the human, they’re close to being ready. I think we’re in a good space with Hagen.”
In discussing Smith’s talent and potential timeline to the big leagues, Shirley referenced the White Sox’s successful recent history in developing hard-throwing left-handers in Chris Sale and Carlos Rodon, who have since left the team, as well as current ace Garrett Crochet.
Shirley indicated that Smith could be in the mix to earn a rotation spot for the White Sox in 2025.
“Garrett Crochet, (Double-A pitching prospect) Noah Schultz coming, you add this piece of Hagen – especially with where Garrett’s at … it could be a special time in Chicago,” Shirley said.
Smith went went 9-2 with a 2.04 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 161 strikeouts in 84 innings across 16 starts for Arkansas in 2024. He led the country with an NCAA-record 17.3 strikeouts per nine innings.
Amid his sensational season, Smith authored one of the great pitching performances in college baseball history on Feb. 23, when he struck out 17 batters while throwing six scoreless innings against a strong Oregon State team that was ranked seventh in the nation at the time. Only one of the outs that Smith recorded wasn’t by strikeout, and he allowed just three singles and a walk.
Arkansas went on to win that game, which was played in Arlington, Texas. Smith’s fastball often sits around 95 miles per hour, though he can ramp it up to the upper 90s, and many scouts view his slider as his best pitch.
“He’s dynamic,” Shirley said. “I was in Arlington the night he took Oregon State for that ride. Those strikeouts were real. It’s the best college performance I’ve ever seen since I’ve been scouting.
“He could’ve taken the Dodgers for a ride that night or the Yankees. It was so dynamic, it was the type of moment you clearly go, ‘Oh, that’s different.’”
Shirley also emphasized the White Sox won’t rush Smith to the big leagues.
“The goal is the long-term play,” Shirley said. “He’s a great piece for us.
"We're excited about Hagen. He's got a chance to come fast, but we've got to do what's best for Hagen, and he understands that."
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