Hagen Smith has wasted no time making his presence felt for the White Sox.
The rookie left-hander debuted on August 9, just 10 days before his 23rd birthday, and the early returns have been exactly what Chicago could have hoped for. In six career games, Smith has posted a 1.13 ERA and given up just one hit, Pete Crow-Armstrong’s 10th-inning walk-off home run.
The rest of the line tells the same story. Smith has struck out 13 batters, walked six and thrown one wild pitch, while holding opposing hitters to a .040 average.
The walk total looks a little louder than it really is, though. Four of those free passes came in his first outing, he issued one in each of his next two appearances, and he hasn’t walked anyone in his last three games.
Even in a tiny sample, the numbers are eye-catching. Smith’s 0.88 WHIP would rank third in the AL if he were among qualified relievers. It might actually be second, since Sean Burke officially owns that spot after the White Sox used an opener ahead of him four times between April and June.
Smith has also found himself in the pitcher-of-record spot three times already. Crow-Armstrong’s homer left the only stain on his ledger, but Smith has two wins to show for his work. He was in line for a third after Andrew Benintendi’s RBI double gave the Sox a 2-1 win over the New York Mets, but Grant Taylor’s blown save took that away.
There’s even a case that Smith should have gotten another win, though the Mets tying the game made that impossible in the end. Still, he hasn’t allowed a run in home games or day games, and in both settings he has struck out at least two batters for every walk.
What Smith is right now is pretty clear: a future starter who is opening his career in the bullpen, much like Chris Sale once did. Chris Getz is the one guiding that path, and it makes sense given that Smith was the fifth overall pick in Getz’s first draft as general manager.
That pick came during the Sox’s 121-loss season, when plenty of people thought the team should have gone with a position player. But with more productive young bats now in the lineup and pitching harder to come by, Smith’s arrival looks a lot more valuable in hindsight.
He won’t keep this up forever. The league will make its adjustments, and Smith will have to answer back.
But for now, he’s giving the White Sox exactly what they needed at exactly the right time. Sometimes that’s enough.
In Other News...
White Sox Deadline Haul Is Already Turning Into A Chris Getz Problem
Three weeks after the deadline, the White Soxs biggest moves already look a lot shakier than they did on paper. Chicago brought in Luis Castillo, Huascar Brazoban, Brenton Doyle, Joey Bart and Jose Urquidy hoping to patch holes and add some immediate stability, but the early returns have been rough across the board. Castillo has labored through four starts, Brazoban has been hit hard in relief, Doyle has yet to provide the offensive boost the club wanted, and the overall impact has tilted the wrong way so far.
Joey Barts broken hand only added to the sense that this group has not given the White Sox the lift they were after. For Chris Getz, the problem is bigger than a few bad outings, because these were deadline additions meant to help now and instead have become part of the teams recent struggles. The sample is still small, but the early trend has been hard to ignore, and it leaves Chicago waiting for some sign that this haul can start paying off. [Read more 🡒]
Rikuu Nishida Just Got Another Shot To Make White Sox Notice
The White Sox gave Rikuu Nishida another opening on Friday, recalling the utility player from Triple-A after placing Andrew Benintendi on the bereavement list before their game against the Texas Rangers. Nishida has already seen big-league time this season, appearing in 12 games for Chicago, and this latest move gives him a fresh chance to show he can help in whatever role the club needs while Benintendi is away.
For now, the stay looks temporary. Benintendi is expected to miss the rest of the Rangers series, with a possible return lined up for the next stop in Minnesota, so Nishidas window is narrow and the challenge is clear: make enough of an impression in a short burst to stay on the radar when Chicago has to make another roster call. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Could Land A Proven Arm If Toronto Changes Course
The September waiver deadline is creeping closer, and that has put a familiar name back into the conversation for teams still looking for pitching help. For the White Sox, the idea is straightforward enough: if Toronto makes a different kind of decision on Shane Bieber, Chicago could have a chance to add a proven arm with the kind of track record that still carries real value even after injury setbacks.
Bieber has recently looked solid, which only adds to the intrigue around his status as the Blue Jays stay in the playoff race. For the White Sox, the appeal is less about chasing a splash and more about staying alert for an opportunity that might not last long, especially with a pitcher of Biebers caliber potentially becoming available only if Toronto changes course. [Read more 🡒]