White Sox select Hagen Smith in first round of 2024 MLB draft

Despite all the talk about the White Sox looking for a position player with the No. 5 pick in the draft, when it was time to hit the road, Mike Shirley selected the best pitcher available in Arkansas, left-hander Hagen Smith.

The No. 6 draft prospect in the Sox Machine’s top 100, Smith was named the 2024 SEC Pitcher of the Year after going 9-2 with a 2.04 ERA and 161 strikeouts against 34 walks in 84 innings for the Razorbacks, and he’s showcased his strikeout chops against some of the draft’s top competition, as Josh noted:

In 2024, Hagen Smith faced Travis Bazzana, Jac Caglianone, and Braden Montgomery. None of the three got a hit off Smith, and Bazzana and Montgomery struck out three times. Smith’s performance against Oregon State on Feb. 23 was the best I’ve seen from a pitcher this season, with 17 strikeouts in six innings of work. A three-quarter delivery that combines a 97 MPH four-seam fastball and a deadly slider is how Smith managed to strike out over 48% of the batters he faced in 2024.

His season ended with a disappointing performance against Kansas State, as a pair of fifth-inning walks opened the floodgates and put the Razorbacks at the back of the pack in the Fayetteville region, but it didn’t cause his draft stock to plummet. He was ranked in the top 10 of every draft board, which is exactly where he was selected.

The White Sox did indeed have some good pitching potential before selecting Smith, as he’ll slot in alongside Noah Schultz on top-100 lists and Drew Thorpe and Jonathan Cannon, among others, in future White Sox rotations. That improves the White Sox’s position in a post-Garrett Crochet world, assuming the Sox are able to turn him (and/or Erick Fedde) into a positional talent that this draft didn’t produce.

What is Hagen Smith’s game?

While Josh imagined a Robbie Ray comparison, Smith’s fastball-power slider combo from a lower left-handed slot conjures visions of Chris Sale elsewhere. He positions himself at the very first base of the rubber and hides the ball to create unique angles and deception. He’s touched 100 mph with his fastball, and between that and his slider, a third pitch is often overthought against college hitters. That likely won’t be the case in the major leagues, so he’s been working on a splitter (which could be a split-changeup) to give right-handed hitters something on the other side of the plate.

Smith retains his late-game speed, but his start with Kansas State highlighted questions about his ability to maintain his control. He also underwent Tommy John surgery in high school, which are his two biggest flaws.

Where is Hagen Smith located?

What does Hagen Smith look like?

Good anagrams?

He generates a lot of his speed from those MEAN THIGHS.

2024 MLB Draft: Top 10

Florida first baseman Jac Caglianone, the White Sox’s consensus mock draft pick, ended up being sent one pick later to the Kansas City Royals, in case you were wondering where the first flashpoint of doubt might arise.

1. Cleveland Goalies: Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State University
2. Cincinnati Reds: Chase Burns, right-handed pitcher, Wake Forest
3. Colorado Rockies: Charlie Condon, 3B/OF, Georgia
4. Oakland Athletics: Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest
5. Chicago White Sox: Hagen Smith, left-handed pitcher, Arkansas
6. Kansas City Royals: Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida
7. St. Louis Cardinals: JJ Wetherholt, SS, West Virginia
8. The Los Angeles Angels: Christian Moore, 2B, Tennessee
9. Pittsburgh Pirates: Konnor Griffin, SS, Jackson Prep (Mississippi)
10. Washington Nationals: Seaver King, SS, Wake Forest

Hagen Smith Meets Chicago Media