Hagen Smith

School: Arkansas
Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 20.9
BA Grade: 60/Extreme
Tools: Fastball: 70. Slider: 70. Changeup: 45. Control: 50.

Smith ranked as a top 200 prospect coming out of high school in Bullard, Texas, and threw seven no-hitters during a loud senior season. He did that after recovering from Tommy John surgery and then made it to campus at Arkansas, where he has pitched in a number of different roles while making steady progress each year. His 2024 draft season was consistently dominant and resulted in him winning Southeastern Conference pitcher of the year honors. Smith posted a 2.04 ERA in 16 starts and 84 innings with a 48.6% strikeout rate, 10.3% walk rate and Division I-leading .144 opponent average. He was the Friday night ace of an Arkansas staff that was one of the best pitching teams in the country. At 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, Smith has gained good weight in his college career and made strides. He refined his delivery in 2024, which helped lead to improved stuff and strikes. He averaged 95-96 mph with a fastball that has been up to 100 and throws from a low three-quarters slot that helps him create a flat plane to the plate. Those factors allow his fastball to generate tons of in-zone whiffs. Smith backs his heater with a hard, mid-80s slider that is a swing-and-miss pitch to both lefthanded and righthanded hitters, as his 56% miss rate in 2024 attests. His slider is a potential 70-grade offering. Smith’s third pitch is a firm upper-80s changeup that needs more refinement and has been infrequently used during his college career. While he has improved his strike-throwing, Smith has never been a command-oriented pitcher and will need to continue making strides in this area. He will also need to bring up his third pitch to be a slam-dunk starter. Despite having TJ on his ledger and some reliever risk, Smith’s outstanding lefthanded stuff gives him extreme upside and should make him one of the first two pitchers drafted.