The Chicago White Sox got a brief glimpse of the future when 2024 first-round draft pick Hagen Smith went to the mound before Monday’s game against the Cleveland Guardians.
The left-hander threw a ceremonial first pitch to fellow Arkansas product Dominic Fletcher as part of a busy day at Guaranteed Rate Field.
“It’s my first time here, just trying to take it all in,” Smith said. “Seeing the stadium, going around the locker room. My family is here so we’ve had a blast.”
Smith’s visit came after he completed his first professional season on Saturday.
He had a 3.52 ERA with seven strikeouts in three starts with Class A Winston-Salem.
“I got out to Winston, I didn’t know really what to expect,” Smith said. “But it was awesome getting out there and getting the first taste of pro ball.
“(The atmosphere was) a little different. You have to lock in a little more. There’s no one there to, like, prop you up a little bit. Just have to use your teammates.”
The Sox liked what they saw from Smith.
“Hagen, he certainly hasn’t disappointed,” general manager Chris Getz said. “He’s got big stuff, and you look at what he can do with his fastball and breaking pitches, and it kind of reminds you of other pitchers that you currently have in your organization and other pitchers across the league that are leading rotations.
“Getting to know Hagen more and more and meeting his family, when you look at players and you evaluate players and you get a stronger understanding of their support system, he’s well-positioned to have a successful major-league career. Very confident in that.”
The Sox selected Smith with the No. 5 pick in July’s draft. He joined the organization after going 9-2 with a 2.04 ERA and 161 strikeouts in 16 starts this season with the Razorbacks.
Smith struck out four and allowed two hits in three scoreless innings during his debut with the Dash on Aug. 24 at Aberdeen. He gave up one run on two hits in 2 2/3 innings Aug. 31 against Brooklyn and two runs on three hits with two strikeouts in two innings Sept. 7 against Greenville.
“It felt good,” Smith said of his stuff. “I wanted to go out there and keep playing. I was still fresh. It was good to go out there and just play again.”
Getz was hopeful Smith would have the chance to connect with Sox starter Garrett Crochet during the visit.
“To have two talented lefties in the building of their stature exemplifies the direction of our organization,” Getz said. “We feel really good about the pitching development and our infrastructure. We’re going to continue to nurture that and figure out how to get this club better.”
That led to the topic of Crochet’s future. He has two more seasons of club control but was mentioned in trade speculation leading up to the July 30 deadline.
“For one, we’re really proud of what Garrett has accomplished as a starter this year,” Getz said. “He’s been one of the bright spots of baseball, quite honestly. It’s not a player we’re actively shopping. Obviously there’s a lot of interest in a Garrett Crochet because of what he can do on the mound. We’ll wrap up this year, get into the offseason and kind of go from there.
“You look at the long list of arms we’ve accumulated, both through the draft and trades, we feel like we’re in a pretty healthy spot from a pitching standpoint. We need to weigh where we’re going to be in a year or two years, but we also know how talented he is and he can certainly lead a rotation with the White Sox or anyone else, so we’re going to take advantage of what he’s capable of doing as a starter. But also, it’s wise to see what the market holds for a Garrett Crochet to see if we can improve the White Sox for the future.”
Smith looks forward to doing his part in the future.
“Obviously I want to help as much as I can,” Smith said, “but I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do to actually get here and stay here.”
Pitcher Sean Burke called up from Triple A
The Sox called up right-hander Sean Burke from Triple-A Charlotte ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Guardians.
Burke, 24, is 2-7 with a 4.77 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 19 starts between Charlotte and the Arizona Complex League White Sox this season. The team’s third-round pick in the 2021 draft, Burke has at least eight strikeouts in four of his last six starts.
“Everybody has been super welcoming and super hands out — if I need anything, let them know,” Burke said. “Very comfortable. I’m ready to go play.”
The Sox optioned pitcher Nick Nastrini to Charlotte in the corresponding move. Nastrini is 0-7 with a 7.07 ERA, 26 strikeouts and 36 walks in nine games (eight starts) with the Sox.
