Parker Smith Stats & Scouting Report

IP	59.2
ERA	3.32
WHIP	1.390
BB/9	3.8
SO/9	8.3

Full name Parker Smith
Born 03/05/2003 in Houston, TX
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Rice
Drafted in the 4th round (131st overall) by the Houston Astros in 2024 (signed for $447,500).

View Draft Report

School: Rice
Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.4
BA Grade: 45/High
Tools: Fastball: 45. Slider: 50. Changeup: 55. Control: 55.

Smith is a 6-foot-4, 230-pound righthander who has anchored Rice’s rotation for multiple years and been a strong strike-thrower for three seasons. He owns a career 3.96 ERA over 220.1 innings and 40 starts with just an 18.9% strikeout rate but an impressive 6.8% walk rate. Smith works from an up-tempo delivery and throws with a loose and whippy arm action and low three-quarters slot. He sits in the 90-94 mph range with his fastball and will top out at 96 with sink and running life that makes the pitch more of a groundball-inducing pitch than a real bat-misser. As expected from his walk rate, he does a nice job establishing the fastball in the zone to set up a solid duo of secondaries, which includes a solid 80-85 mph slider that he lands to his glove side and a firm, upper-80s changeup that he locates down and to the arm side. The slider was his best swing-and-miss pitch this spring, though his changeup’s tumble and fading life could make it his best secondary in the long run. Smith uses the slider more against righties and the changeup more against lefties but has impressive feel for both. Smith’s lack of strikeouts and power caps his ceiling a bit, but he has a solid back-of-the-rotation starter profile.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 45/High.

Track Record: Smith anchored Rice’s rotation for multiple years and impressed with his advanced strike-throwing for three seasons. He owns a career 3.96 ERA over 220.1 innings and 40 starts with just an 18.9% strikeout rate but an impressive 6.8% walk rate. Smith was first team All-Conference USA as a sophomore and earned an invite to Team USA during the summer. Smith had a down junior season for Rice in 2024, when he made 15 starts and pitched to a 4.23 ERA. The Astros selected Smith in the fourth and signed him for $447,500. Smith didn’t debut after the draft.

Scouting Report: Smith is a physical righthander who works from an up-tempo delivery with a loose and whippy arm action and low three-quarters slot. Smith mixes a sinker and four-seam fastballs, a slider and changeup. His primary fastball is a sinker at 91-93 mph that touches 96 mph at peak. Smith does a nice job establishing his fastball in the zone to set up a solid duo of secondaries, which includes a solid low-to-mid-80s slider with a foot of sweep on average. He locates his upper-80s changeup down and to his arm side. His slider was his best swing-and-miss pitch in college, though his changeup’s tumble and fading life could make it his best pro secondary. He has a starter’s pitch mix with the ability to drive grounders.

The Future: Smith’s lack of strikeouts and power caps his ceiling a bit, but he has a solid back-of-the-rotation starter profile.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 45 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 55.

Draft Prospects

School: Rice Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.4
BA Grade: 45/High
Tools: Fastball: 45. Slider: 50. Changeup: 55. Control: 55.

Smith is a 6-foot-4, 230-pound righthander who has anchored Rice’s rotation for multiple years and been a strong strike-thrower for three seasons. He owns a career 3.96 ERA over 220.1 innings and 40 starts with just an 18.9% strikeout rate but an impressive 6.8% walk rate. Smith works from an up-tempo delivery and throws with a loose and whippy arm action and low three-quarters slot. He sits in the 90-94 mph range with his fastball and will top out at 96 with sink and running life that makes the pitch more of a groundball-inducing pitch than a real bat-misser. As expected from his walk rate, he does a nice job establishing the fastball in the zone to set up a solid duo of secondaries, which includes a solid 80-85 mph slider that he lands to his glove side and a firm, upper-80s changeup that he locates down and to the arm side. The slider was his best swing-and-miss pitch this spring, though his changeup’s tumble and fading life could make it his best secondary in the long run. Smith uses the slider more against righties and the changeup more against lefties but has impressive feel for both. Smith’s lack of strikeouts and power caps his ceiling a bit, but he has a solid back-of-the-rotation starter profile.