Hagen Smith’s Dominance Could Fuel a Deep White Sox Playoff Run

From the moment he was promoted to make his MLB debut and help the Chicago White Sox bullpen, left-handed pitcher Hagen Smith has had a pretty straightforward recipe for success: If he throws strikes, he's incredibly difficult to hit.

There's a reason Smith is the No. 4-ranked prospect in the White Sox organization and has previously appeared on MLB Pipeline's top-100 list. It wasn't an accident that the White Sox selected him with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, either.

The potential was through the roof, and the organization's vision has always been for Smith to reach his ceiling as a starting pitcher. During his final season at Arkansas, he went 9-2 with a 2.04 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP while striking out 161 batters in 84 innings for an outrageous 17.3 strikeouts per nine.

That's the kind of starting pitcher worthy of a top-five draft pick because the ceiling is there for him to become a future ace. But while Smith has always been difficult to hit in the minor leagues, his professional career hasn't been without its hiccups as he's worked to improve his control.

Smith's 6.7 walks per nine innings with Double-A Birmingham in 2025 were a problem, and things didn't get much better when he posted 6.2 walks per nine with Triple-A Charlotte in 2026. Ultimately, his inability to consistently throw strikes prevented him from receiving an opportunity in the White Sox starting rotation.

But as the 2026 regular season entered its closing stretch following the trade deadline, the White Sox saw an opportunity to introduce Smith to the MLB level, continue his development and simultaneously improve their pitching staff. It started with a move to the bullpen.

The White Sox transitioned Smith from his traditional starting role into a relief role with Charlotte, and they immediately began seeing results. Pitching only one or two innings at a time made his control issues more manageable and allowed Smith to focus on delivering his best stuff in shorter bursts.

After just a few weeks in Charlotte's bullpen, the White Sox brought Smith to Chicago. And while things haven't always been perfect, he has performed better than anyone could have imagined.

In Sunday's rubber match against the Minnesota Twins, Smith made his 10th MLB appearance. He has now completed 16 innings with the White Sox, allowing just five hits and one earned run.

The 10 walks still need to be addressed, but Smith has been so unhittable that his WHIP sits at 0.94. He has also posted a 0.56 ERA and a .096 batting average against while striking out 23 batters over those 16 innings.

The control issues can get Smith into trouble, just as they did when he was competing for a spot in the starting rotation. But there's less of an emphasis on efficiency when pitching out of the bullpen, and when Smith has found the strike zone, he has been a completely lights-out relief arm for the White Sox.

On Sunday night, Smith threw 35 pitches against the Twins, including 27 strikes. He faced nine batters, retired all nine and recorded four strikeouts. His three perfect innings kept the White Sox in the game and allowed them to eventually take the lead. Smith earned the win and improved to 3-1 on the season.

The most encouraging part of the outing was that Smith completed three innings. While he has been effective to begin his MLB career, his control issues appeared to become more pronounced the longer he pitched in some of his earlier appearances.

But with innings at a premium for the White Sox down the stretch, seeing Smith sustain his control and complete multiple innings is an encouraging development. It could also point to him eventually being stretched back out as a starting pitcher while the White Sox weigh their options for 2027.

The recipe for the White Sox to win games this year includes keeping the bullpen fresh and having arms such as Smith continue to deliver. As long as he, Sean Newcomb, Bryan Hudson, Jordan Hicks and Grant Taylor are throwing the ball well, the White Sox bullpen can go toe to toe with anyone in Major League Baseball.

That may prove crucial over the final 19 games of the regular season and in a potential postseason series.