Every week that passes, the Chicago White Sox having Shane Smith on their roster gets more and more unbelievable.
The White Sox are not particularly used to getting lucky. Even when the franchise intentionally cratered for an unprecedented rebuild, they managed to miss on almost every prospect acquired.
Somehow, Yoán Moncada, Eloy Jimenez, and Luis Robert Jr. all managed to fall well short of their ceilings. Andrew Vaughn and Nick Madrigal were both wasted Top 5 picks in the MLB Draft. The White Sox built a young core and had 10 of the Top 100 prospects in baseball and only got two playoffs appearances and two playoff wins to show for it.
White Sox fans often find themselves looking at other teams who generate star players out of thin air and longing for that kind of fortune. But with Shane Smith, Chicago finally hit the lottery.
Shane Smith is the gift that keeps on giving
Smith was drafted with the No. 1 overall pick in the Rule 5 Draft during the offseason after he was left off the 40-man roster and unprotected by the Milwaukee Brewers. Every time he takes the mound in a White Sox uniform, it gets more unbelievable that the Brewers didn't care to protect him.
Smith has a 2.37 ERA in 13 starts this season. He leads the team with 1.5 fWAR and is on his way to becoming the first pitcher in MLB history to be selected in the Rule 5 Draft and make the All-Star Game as a rookie.
Shane Smith is looking like an All-Star 🫡
— Sox On 35th (@SoxOn35th) June 11, 2025
6.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
89 pitches - 56 strikes (10 swinging)
pic.twitter.com/Z6ZT6pMjsf
In 10 of his 13 starts this season, Smith has allowed 2 earned runs or less. He is 12th in all of baseball in ERA (2.37) and 20th in batting average against (.212). He has legitimately entered the conversation to be the AL Rookie of the Year, as well.
It's really hard to put into words just how big Shane Smith is for the future of the White Sox. This is a 25-year-old All-Star starting pitcher with 5.5 years of control. Smith is under contract with Chicago through the 2030 season...and they got him for free.
When the White Sox traded Garrett Crochet in the offseason, it was a tough pill to swallow, even with such an exciting return of prospects coming back to Chicago. It's hard to find a true ace in Major League Baseball today, especially one that's only 25 years old like Crochet...unless you're the White Sox, apparently.
The Sox now have Kyle Teel and Chase Meidroth looking like long-term fixtures of the lineup and Braden Montgomery is showing real promise in the minor leagues, Smith is helping offset the loss of Crochet because he too is a 25-year-old starting pitcher that is looking like an All-Star, but he costs $170 million less.
Every time Smith takes the mound, I am in awe that this is the reality White Sox fans are living in. Shane Smith is quickly becoming a fan favorite on the South Side for good reason. The sky seems to be the limit