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2024 MLB Draft Profile: Hagen Smith

By / / Draft Coverage, Minors

NAME: Hagen Smith
SCHOOL: Arkansas
POSITION: LHP
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6’3″, 225 lbs
B/T: L/L
D.O.B.: August 19, 2003
PREVIOUSLY DRAFTED: N/A

Draft Scouting Report

Coming out of Bullard High School in Texas, Hagen Smith was a highly thought of prospect, albeit with a strong commitment to Arkansas. Smith was rated as high as 117th by MLB Pipeline and the 167th prospect in Baseball America’s 2021 top 500. He was also named an All-American by Baseball America after his senior year wrapped after a stellar season. Smith missed the 2020 season recovering from Tommy John, but upon his return to the mound had thrown seven no-hitters and struck out 169 while allowing a meager seven hits and 21 walks in 73 innings.

Smith went undrafted in 2021 and made it to campus at Fayetteville. As a freshman in 2022, he made 15 starts for the Razorbacks (20 total appearances) while throwing 77.1 innings with a 4.66 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 90 strikeouts while being named to the All-SEC Freshman team, Perfect Game Freshman All-American second team, and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Freshman All-American.

As a sophomore in 2023, Smith made four fewer starts and two less appearances than his freshman year, but was able to make some moderate improvements with his command by walking four fewer batters and allowing 10 fewer hits with a 3.64 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and 109 strikeouts. The Texan reigned in more awards, making several All-American lists, National Pitcher of the Year Semifinalist, SEC All-Defensive Team, and was also a Golden Spikes Semifinalist.

The 2024 season for Hagen Smith saw him take his talents to an even higher level and really elevate his draft stock. Smith made 16 appearances for the Razorbacks as a junior, all starts, throwing 84 innings with a 2.04 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and 161 strikeouts. The 20-year-old southpaw was named the SEC, Perfect Game, Collegiate Baseball Foundation, and Rawlings National Pitcher of the year while also cracking six First Team All-American lists, in addition to several other accolades. Smith has also checked in as the fourth ranked draft prospect by Kiley McDaniel, fifth by MLB Pipeline and Prospects Live, sixth by Baseball America, and seventh by Future Star Series and Keith Law.

Smith’s aresenal features a well above average fastball that sat between 94-97 while topping out at 100 mph with ride, a plus (if not better) hard slider that operates in the mid-80s that routinely wrecked lefties and kept right-handed hitters in check. Smith has also thrown a split-changeup in the upper 80s that at its best flashes average to above, but relied more heavily on the slider as his out pitch during college.

Smith utilizes a funky delivery from a low three-quarters slot that comes across his body, which has made him more deceptive to hitters. Standing at 6’3” 225 pounds, he has the frame and build for starting at the next level. While he was never known for being a command-orientated arm, builiding upon the strides he made with his command during his marvelous 2024 season while also further developing his split-change are important areas of his game that will help ensure his placement in rotations as he progresses through pro-ball.

Why Would the White Sox Draft Hagen Smith?

Brian Bannister’s addition to the White Sox brain trust has already begun to pay dividends on the farm. Improvements from several pitching prospects across multiple levels has been noticeable, including Garrett Crochet taking a giant step forward in his first year as a major league starting pitcher. If the White Sox wanted to further bolster their rotation depth with the potential to help out sooner rather than later, Smith could make sense as the selection.

The soon-to-be 21 year old would obviously add more starting pitching depth to what has recently become a deep position for the organization. From the left side specifically, Smith would join a system that already possesses the likes of Noah Schultz, Ky Bush, and Jake Eder, most likey slotting in as the second best left-handed starter on the farm behind Noah Schultz. When factoring in Garrett Crochet at the major league level, the White Sox would hold one of the more exciting collections of southpaws in all of baseball, and one of the deepest pools of starting pitchers in the minor leagues.

Draft
Mike Shirley via White Sox Zoom

The organization doesn’t hand out large free agent deals to starting pitchers, so developing internal starting options in imperative to any future success they wish to have.

Mock Draft Outcomes

Given the season he had, mock drafts have typically had Hagen Smith being selected within the top 10 for some time, and the most recent updates continue with that line of thinking. Jim Callis’ latest mock for MLB Pipeline saw Smith being selected by Kansas City at pick No. 6, similar to Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline having Smith go to the Royals at pick six. Our James Fox also had the Royals selecting Hagen Smith in his last mock.

Joe Doyle of Future Star Series had Smith being selected by the St. Louis Cardinals with the seventh pick, similarly to Prospects Live, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN, and Carlos Collazo of Baseball America in mock draft version 5.0. Keith Law of The Athletic has Smith going to the Angels at pick No. 8.