Hagen Smith headlines strong night for Chicago’s farm system

While the remaining teams in the postseason vie for a 2025 World Series title, the Chicago White Sox — along with the rest of baseball’s early exits — are already turning the page and preparing for next year.

One of the best ways to do that is through the Arizona Fall League, MLB’s premier offseason development circuit. The AFL gives top minor leaguers an opportunity to extend their season and face elite competition from across the sport.

There are six teams in total, each made up of prospects from five different Major League organizations rather than a single affiliate. The White Sox contingent — Sam Antonacci, Hagen Smith, Braden Montgomery, Ryan Galanie, Caden Connor, Jarold Rosario, Tyler Davis, and Carson Jacobs — all suit up for the Glendale Desert Dogs, alongside young talent from the Dodgers, Cardinals, Blue Jays, and Braves.

The league opened earlier this week, and Chicago’s farm system wasted no time making noise.

It was a big night for the White Sox farm on Wednesday, as Antonacci, Galanie, and Connor combined for seven hits, two walks, four stolen bases, and six RBIs. But the loudest statement came from the mound, where Hagen Smith — the White Sox’s 2024 fifth overall pick — continued with his positive momentum from the last few months and looked every bit the part of a future frontline starter.

Smith’s 2025 season wasn’t without bumps. He battled command issues and even took a midseason break for biomechanical adjustments. But towards the end of the year, he looked like a different pitcher.

His stretch run with Double-A Birmingham included a dominant postseason: five no-hit innings with 10 strikeouts in his first playoff start for the eventual Southern League champion Barons, followed by another strong playoff outing in which he allowed just two runs and struck out six over four innings.

Across both the regular season and playoffs, Smith struck out 13.3 batters per nine innings in 2025 — the kind of number that jumps off the page for a left-hander barely a year removed from college ball.

On Wednesday night in Arizona, Smith kept that momentum rolling. He worked three scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out four.

Dating back to August 30, Smith has now allowed only five total earned runs over his last six outings — a span of 25 innings with 41 strikeouts. That’s a legitimate hot streak for one of Chicago’s most intriguing young arms.

The Arizona Fall League runs through November 15, and if Smith keeps dealing, he could force his way into the big-league conversation sooner rather than later. The White Sox rotation picture for 2026 remains wide open, and if Smith continues at this pace, there’s a realistic chance the organization’s fifth-ranked prospect could debut on the South Side sometime next summer.