C.J. Smith

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #424 prospect in 2021 draft
  Smith came to Georgia as a two-way player who pitched and played outfield his first two seasons before transitioning to a full-time starting role in 2020. This spring he started just three games before his season was shut down due to arm soreness. A 6-foot-1, 191-pound pitchability lefthander, Smith throws a fastball in the 88-90 mph range that will touch 91-92, with a solid curveball and changeup. He throws strikes with all three pitches but will likely need the fastball to come on more in pro ball to carve out any sort of significant role. Smith has pitched well over his Georgia career, with a 3.40 ERA over 116.1 innings, but he doesn’t strike out many batters—just 98 (7.8 K/9) compared to 49 walks (3.6 BB/9).
• Ranked #335 prospect in 2020 draft
  Smith served as a two-way player on the mound and in the outfield for Georgia as a freshman and sophomore, but in 2020 transitioned to a full-time starting role on the mound. A soft-tossing lefthander listed at 6-foot-1, 191 pounds, Smith gets by more from spotting his stuff than overpowering hitters. His fastball sits in the 87-91 mph range and is mostly around 89. The pitch can be tough to hit with good angle when he keeps the ball down and two solid-average secondaries to keep hitters honest. Smith throws a curveball that has flashed above average and has a consistently solid changeup, but his fastball command is more solid than spectacular, which will limit his upside. He profiles more as a depth-type, swingman starter. For his career, Smith has a 3.46 ERA in 101.1 innings with 7.5 strikeouts per nine and 3.8 walks per nine.