White Sox 23-year-old pitcher impressing early in MLB career

On Sunday, September 6, the Chicago White Sox cruised to a 10-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins. While the offense certainly stood out, the bullpen may have been even more impressive, as the White Sox relied exclusively on their relievers to cover all nine innings.

Bryan Hudson was the opener in this contest, going 1.2 innings. Following him was Jordan Hicks for 1.1 innings, Hagen Smith for 3.0 innings, Grant Taylor for 2.0, and Tyler Davis for the last 1.0 to finish out the game. All-together Twins batters accumulated just four hits, walked once, and struck out a total of 15 times.

Of that group of pitchers, Smith earned the win after tossing three perfect innings. He retired all nine batters he faced while striking out four, showcasing impressive efficiency along the way. Smith threw 27 of his 35 pitches for strikes.

For Smith, this outing was another example of just how impressive he has been to begin his MLB career. Through 10 appearances, he now owns a 0.56 ERA across 16.0 innings, allowing just five hits while striking out 23. Opposing batters are hitting just .096 against him and striking out 37.1% of the time, while Smith has posted a 0.94 WHIP.

Chicago White Sox rookie left-hander Hagen Smith has impressed early in his MLB career

Beyond the traditional numbers, Smith’s advanced metrics further support his impressive performance. The 6-foot-3 southpaw ranks in the 88th percentile in extension, giving his 93.9 mph fastball a higher perceived velocity to opposing hitters. That heater has allowed just two hits so far while generating whiffs on 31.4% of swings.

Complementing the fastball is a devastating slider that has also surrendered just two hits. 13 of Smith’s strikeouts have come on the pitch, which has generated an impressive 42.6% whiff rate. The final pitch in Smith’s primary repertoire is his cutter, which he throws 14.8% of the time. His changeup, meanwhile, is his least frequently used pitch and has allowed his lone extra-base hit of the season.

While it is still early in Smith’s MLB career, the results have been difficult to ignore. His combination of a dominant fastball, devastating slider and strong underlying metrics has made him one of the more intriguing young arms in the White Sox bullpen. A shot in the starting rotation is likely at some point beyond this season, but for now he has established himself as a multi inning relief weapon.

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