Hagen
Smith

USA CNT: It certainly was not the best look at Smith during his first appearance at the Trials as the lefthander did not look anything close to the first rounder he will likely become. With six walks in three innings he scattered his lively, mid-90s fastball. However, he did flash his trademark dirty slider in and out of the zone, striking out a trio of hitters with the pitch. He can also manipulate the pitch into more curve ball shape with more depth at 82-83, depending on the situation. His approach is to throw the riding heater over bats and the diving slider below the barrel which he did with great success for the Razorbacks this past spring, posting a 3.64 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 72 innings. Scouts are currently split between Smith’s projection at the next level. His stuff, approach and method of operation are best suited for the pen, however he has also shown the ability to start and work deep into ball games. An 80-grade competitor, Smith is also one of the top three collegiate lefthanders for next summer’s draft. Despite his lackluster showing during the trials, Smith turned it around when it counted, making three relief appearances for the CNT, allowing one run on two hits with six strikeouts in 5.2 innings.

The sophomore left-hander from Arkansas dominated Vanderbilt for five innings. He allowed just one hit, no runs and punched out eight. His electric fastball topped at 97 with deception from a short finish to his arm action. His cutter was also filthy at 89-90.

USA CNT: A premium recruit who made headlines for throwing seven no-hitters in the Texas high school ranks, Smith put together a good freshman year for the Hogs, going 7-2, 4.66 with 90 strikeouts and 46 walks in 77.1 innings. He made 15 starts but really thrived in a bullpen role during Arkansas’ run to Omaha. Loose, athletic and physical at 6-3, 215 pounds, Smith has some front-side funk and some crossfire action with a slingy low three-quarters release point, lending him some extra deception and fastball life. He sat 90-93 during a two-inning stint for Team USA in North Carolina, and he used the heater as the putaway pitch on two of his four strikeouts. He also got two strikeouts with his slider, an out pitch with excellent tilt at 80-83, spinning in the 2400s. The slider is vicious against lefties, but he can also land it for a backdoor strike against righties or back-foot it for a chase. In this look, Smith lacked his best feel for his 82-84 changeup, but the pitch has shown promise in the past.

With a quick arm from a three-quarter slot, freshman hurler Hagen Smith struck out eight in six innings. He added and subtracted on his 88-93 mph fastball that showed good angle, especially when located inside to right handed hitters. The left-hander's changeup was a bit firm, averaging 84 mph and he also showed an average slider in the 76-80 mph range.