It's never a good thing when a young pitcher needs to be pulled from game action because of arm soreness and a dip in velocity.
That's exactly what happened last month to Chicago White Sox pitching prospect and 2024 first round draft pick Hagen Smith.
Smith had a 2.10 ERA in seven starts with Double-A Birmingham before leaving the team and heading to Arizona for biomechanics work and rest. It was a proactive move by the organization, but considering Smith had only thrown 25.2 innings this season, it raised a lot of red flags.
Thankfully, the most recent updates on Smith provided by the team and Scott Merkin of MLB.com are really positive.
Positive update on Smith
After the Sox were able to conduct an MRI, Chris Getz told the media last weekend that there was "nothing of concern" regarding Smith's health.
Smith's velocity was down from where it was when the Sox drafted him out of Arkansas in 2024. But according to Getz, that has more to do with his mechanics.
“We compared [the MRI] to where it was when we signed him. But he was feeling something, and it was showing in his velocity. We think it's related to his mechanics. We love the uptempo part of his delivery, but he's a guy that, on occasion, can rush out and forward," Getz told Merkin before a late May series against the Rangers.
“He needs to stay back, he needs to stay over the rubber. That'll allow him to pound the strike zone more, less misses, and put guys away. We're tackling that right now. We're thinking that's going to bode well for his overall health and production moving forward."
With this in mind, the organization's decision to pull him from game action not only makes sense, but seems very wise. When it comes to the No. 4 overall pick in the draft, you'd rather be safe than sorry. The Sox need Smith to be a front of the rotation starter if they want this new iteration of a rebuild to work.
The good news on Smith continued this week, with Scott Merkin reporting on Tuesday that everything is looking good and back on track regarding Smtih's mechanical adjustments.
Positive update on Hagen Smith, the No. 3 White Sox prospect and No. 30 overall: Health-wise, he’s feeling great. He’s made impressive delivery adjustments during the biomechanics time away in Arizona and the organization is excited to get him rolling again in the coming weeks.
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) June 3, 2025
Given the experience he had in the SEC over three years of college baseball, I fully expected Smith to be a prospect that flies through the minor leagues. Coming into the 2025 season, I probably would have projected Smith to debut in the big leagues at some point this year. I no longer feel that way, but that doesn't mean he won't be succesful.
While Smith has a 2.43 career minor league ERA and a ridiculous 13.2 K/9 as a professional, we have yet to see him stretch out and get deep into games. He has never thrown more than 68 pitches in a minor league game and never pitched into the 7th inning of a start. He'll need to get over that hurdle before he's ready to be in a Major League rotation.
That said, there's a reason Smith is the No. 30 prospect in all of baseball and the No. 2 ranked left-handed pitcher behind teammate Noah Schultz. His stuff is absolutely filthy with two well above-average pitches (fastball, slider) and an upper-80s splitter that can be just as good if he learns how to command it.
I have no doubts about Smith's talent. I had some mild concerns about his health, but the recent positive updates from the White Sox have me feeling much better.