Recent York High School graduate Ryan Sloan was selected by the Mariners in the second round of Sunday’s MLB draft.
Sean King/Shaw Local News Network
The MLB Draft class of 2025 was billed as being especially strong with college hitters, but the White Sox chose a pitcher with the No. 5 overall selection, taking Arkansas left-hander Hagen Smith.
The Cubs also took a Smith in the first round at No. 14, opting for Florida State third baseman Cam Smith.
Meanwhile, York High School pitcher Ryan Sloan went in the second round, No. 55 overall, to Seattle, one pick after the Cubs. Sloan is a Wake Forest commit and has a decision to make in the coming days.
Hagen Smith was the second pitcher off the board and said he had no indications the White Sox were in his future until the pick was announced. He said he spoke to the Sox once a few weeks ago in Omaha.
“Really, I loved everything they were saying and loved everything they were talking about the program and the city,” he said. “Just the young core of guys they have, especially the left-handed pitchers they have in the organization.”
A photo of Hagen Smith is shown on the video board after he was selected fifth overall by the White Sox in Sunday’s MLB baseball draft in Fort Worth, Texas.
AP
The 6-foot-3 junior was dominant for the Razorbacks this spring, going 9-2 with a 2.02 ERA in the hitter-heavy SEC, with 161 strikeouts in just 84 innings. The 17.3 strikeout rate per nine innings was an NCAA record.
His fastball is reportedly in the 94-97 range and he can hit 100 miles per hour at times. His slider is rated his second-best pitch and he also throws a splitter.
He opened some eyes in February when he struck out 17 in just 6 innings against Oregon State in a game played in Arlington, Texas, site of Tuesday’s All-Star Game.
“Everything was working that day,” Smith said in a Zoom call with Chicago reporters. “Mainly I was throwing fastball and sliders in that game. I kind of got in the groove so much. I started throwing changeups. I really didn’t even need to, I just felt like throwing it.”
Smith, who turns 21 in August, has a background reminiscent of Kerry Wood. He grew up in eastern Texas, in the small town of Bullard, and tossed 7 no-hitters during his senior year of high school. He also had Tommy John surgery as a sophomore in high school.
The White Sox already had three left-handed pitchers among their top 15 prospects. The list includes Oswego East grad Noah Schultz, their 2022 first-rounder; plus Jake Eder and Ky Bush.
It was a slight surprise that the Sox passed on Florida two-way player Jac Caglianone, who hit .417 with 35 home runs this spring, and was a full-time starting pitcher. Caglianone went to Kansas City with the very next pick.
The Cubs, who tend to draft pitchers, decided to go with a position player for the second-straight year. Cam Smith hit .387 for the Seminoles in the spring with 16 home runs.
Smith, 21, has a big body (6-3, 220) and might end up in the outfield. MLB Pipeline has arm strength as his highest-rated skill. The scouting report touted his improvement from his freshman to sophomore seasons at Florida State. He was named outstanding pro prospect in the renowned Cape Cod League last summer, posting a .981 OPS.
“The biggest thing for me was finding ways to slow the game down,” Smith said. “I found something and that was meditation. I took pride in meditation and it got to the point where it was a hobby, doing it before and after the games, during the games even when I’m at third base or on the on-deck circle.
“Meditation is something that slowed my heartbeat down and that’s something huge that gets you a long way in this game.”
Smith said he got off to a slow start at the Cape Cod League last summer, then figured out an approach that worked — trying to hit line drives to the right-center field gap. He said he stuck with that plan through the college season. He also talked about his MLB role model.
“(Texas SS) Corey Seager has always been my guy,” Smith said. “His demeanor, he kind of has a poker face. You don’t know whether he’s 0-for-4 or 4-for-4. That’s what I truly love about his game. I watch closely. He leads by example and that’s how I want to take care of my business.”
At this home in West Palm Beach, Fla., Smith said is family members are Cubs fans and he took a tour of Wrigley Field with his grandparents when he was seven or eight.
“I’m just excited, man,” he said. “This is an awesome opportunity. I really don’t think there’s a better fit.”
In the second round, the White Sox took Caleb Bonemer, a power-hitting shortstop from Okemos (Mich.) High School. The Cubs went with Coastal Carolina third baseman Cole Mathis.
During his first two years of college, Mathis was one of his team’s better pitchers, then did not take the mound this spring, reportedly because of an elbow issue. As a sophomore, he led Coastal in both batting average and ERA.
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