It’s only been two years since the White Sox selected lefty Hagen Smith with the fifth-overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, yet some White Sox fans have already declared him a bust. Granted, Smith’s career hasn’t been on the trajectory he or the White Sox initially planned, and he’s run into a bit of adversity along the way, but his run at the end of the season and so far in the playoffs have made his talent completely obvious. And Smith’s success so far in the Postseason should make the White Sox’ decision about his future a very easy one.
It took some by surprise when the White Sox announced that Hagen Smith would start the team’s Postseason opener against the Astros, but the White Sox haven’t been afraid to throw the young lefty into big spots since his Major League debut on August 9th. Smith’s sparkling 1.29 ERA in his first 18 big league outings quickly grew the organization’s trust in him, and his performance in the Postseason has only reinforced that trust. Smith opened Game 1 against Houston with three scoreless innings, allowing two hits and no walks, striking out one. Smith once again earned the nod in Game 1 against Cleveland, firing 2.2 hitless innings, though he did lose his control a bit in the third.
At his best, Smith has been nearly unhittable, and the underlying metrics back it up. Despite a fastball averaging just 94 MPH, Smith induces a whiff on 36.2% of swings, which would lead baseball if he were qualified. He’s striking out 37% of hitters, and has allowed just a 1.9% barrel rate. His 86th percentile extension allows his fastball to appear faster than its average velocity, and he’s done an excellent job locating his three-pitch mix. A starter through college and early in the minor leagues, the White Sox haven’t been afraid to pitch him in multi-inning situations, and it could be the start toward pushing him into the 2027 starting rotation.
Hagen Smith lowers his big league ERA to 1.09 with three K's in a scoreless frame!
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) September 19, 2026
The 2024 first-rounder is up to 37 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings since joining the @whitesox: pic.twitter.com/ZZl65Qm74U
Hagen Smith's high-leverage success should earn him an opportunity to start
As great as Smith has been in a high-leverage role, he has the arsenal to be a top starting pitcher in baseball if he can figure out how to command it. With a lockout looming, there’s some uncertainty about when spring training 2027 will begin, but when it does, the White Sox should arrive with the intention of Smith being a starter. Lefty Noah Schultz and righty Tanner McDougal are in a similar position, with both having transitioned to the bullpen to expedite their big league call up this season.
With the White Sox still very much alive in the Postseason, it’s too early to be thinking about the team’s 2027 plans, but Hagen Smith’s continued excellence is saving the White Sox from having to make a tough decision. He’s shown that he’s more than capable of handling the responsibility of starting, and all that’s left to do is build up his innings count accordingly. In the meantime, I expect Smith to continue to play a major role in the White Sox’ playoff run, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see him start another game before the ALDS is done. Hopefully, he can continue to do what he’s done well all season long.
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