The White Sox got back on track Wednesday night with a 5-0 shutout victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Home runs by Chase Meidroth and Drew Romo fueled the offense, but the biggest story of the night was the dominant White Sox pitching staff, which held the Reds to just two singles over the course of the game. Luis Castillo’s seven shutout innings gave the White Sox a glimpse of the upside they saw when they made the trade for Castillo at the deadline, and rookie Hagen Smith got his first high leverage opportunity in the eighth inning.
Smith, who will turn 23 later this month, made his big league debut in the bullpen on Sunday against Cleveland, firing two hitless innings with three strikeouts. His first attempt at high leverage was a success. Smith issued a leadoff walk but proceeded to strike out the next three Reds hitters. Smith’s fastball hovered around 95 for the evening and he frequently changed speeds with the cutter and slider. He’s now struck out six of his first nine big league outs, though the five walks in between might be an issue. The question for Smith now is how quickly the White Sox will trust him to come through in late game situations. He passed his first test with flying colors, but will it become a regular thing?
Hagen Smith's 3Ks in the 8th. pic.twitter.com/fw0jW43xSy
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 13, 2026
Hagen Smith's move to the bullpen is temporary... probably
White Sox director of player development Paul Janish indicated that the plan is for Smith to come to spring training next season as a starting pitcher, so his move to the bullpen may be temporary. For both Smith and Tanner McDougal, the temporary move to the bullpen has come in an effort to monitor innings and get both pitchers experience working in the big leagues. McDougal has yet to appear in a game, but is expected to soon. I’m not suggesting the White Sox permanently make Hagen Smith a high leverage reliever (though that’s not a bad contingency plan if he can’t figure out his control in the rotation), but for the remainder of this season, he could prove to be one of their more trusted options.
Lefties Sean Newcomb and Bryan Hudson have given the team a pair of strong platoon options in the late innings this season, but Hudson’s latest blow-up outing makes it worth wondering if he needs to be relegated to a lower leverage role for the time being. If the White Sox want a second lefty they can trust in a big spot, Hagen Smith could be the natural choice. The biggest concern, obviously, is the command.
It would be one thing if Smith had no history of wildness and the early walks could be attributed to early career nerves. But walks have become a scary trend for Smith over the past two seasons, and his inability to throw strikes will likely be the culprit if he’s unable to continue as a starter. Plenty of high leverage relievers have a problem with walks, but the current pace he’s on (five walks in three innings) is unsustainable.
As the White Sox continue their playoff push and look for stability in the back end of their bullpen, keep an eye on Hagen Smith, who has proven he has the stuff to get the job done. His role in the White Sox bullpen could be of utmost importance down the stretch.
Add us as a preferred source on Google