MLB Draft Profile- Hagen Smith

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Today’s Spotlight - Arkansas, Starting Pitcher, Hagen Smith

Name- Hagen Smith

Pos- SP

Team- Arkansas

HT/WT- 6’3” 225 lbs

Born- 8/19/2003

Home – Tyler, TX

Smith attended Bullard High School in Texas. As a senior, he threw seven no-hitters, tying the Texas High School record. He was the number 1 left handed pitcher in the state on several platforms including Perfect Game and Baseball Report. Smith chose to join Arkansas following his high school career.

As a freshman, Smith came in and earned the number 2 spot in the starting rotation for the Hogs. He pitched 20 times with 15 starts, posting a 4.66 ERA in 77.1 innings, walking 46 batters and striking out 90.

His sophomore year was an improvement from his first, as Smith had 18 appearances with 11 starts. He held a 3.86 ERA in 71.2 innings, with 42 walks, and eclipsing triple digits with 109 strikeouts.

This season is Smith's junior year with Arkansas, and the Hogs' ace looks to stay on this pace this season to climb up the draft boards. He has a chance to go top 10 depending on his performance over the rest of his season.

Strengths

Arm Strength
Pitch Mix
Fastball Command

Smith has a deep pitch mix which includes a four-seam fastball, a sinker, a slider, a split-finger and recently added a curve to his arsenal. He usually pitches with a fastball, splitter approach, but is not afraid to mix it up with other pitches and pitching backwards to the competition later in his outings to stay effective. His arm strength is solid as he sits in the mid-90's with his fastball, typically at 94-96 mph. His fastball-splitter one-two punch is impressive due to how much drop he can get on his split finger, causing elevated swing and miss rates.

Weaknesses

Consistency
Command of Secondary Pitches

Smith's main downfall is the consistency of his pitches outside of the fastball and splitter, and the consistency of his command. His stuff gathers swings and misses, but too often he throws uncompetitive offspeed pitches. His spin rates are not extremely high, but the shape of his slider does not reflect that. His curveball will improve drastically with higher spin on the ball.

Smith's deep pitch mix and versatility are very impressive and give him ability to pitch for both strikeouts and soft contact. In his transition to pro ball, he will likely attempt to add a bit of velocity, and hone in the command of his offspeed pitches, making him a much more reliable piece as he makes his way to the big leagues. Smith has top 10 potential this year as eyes will be on him for the remainder of his college season.

Draft Nation Projection- 1st round pick