Pitcher James Peyton Smith Commits To Virginia Tech Baseball

Here's what Perfect Game said on Smith coming out of high school:

"James Peyton Smith is a 2021 RHP/1B with a 6-4 215 lb. frame from Springfield, TN who attends East Robertson. Outstanding young pitcher’s body with long limbs, good present strength and plenty of physical projection remaining. Very fast arm from an extended 3/4’s arm slot, has energy at release but repeats his mechanics well and shows athleticism in his delivery. Consistent mid-90’s fastball, ball explodes out of his hand, mostly straight with occasional sink down in the zone but explodes on hitters at the plate, velocity plays up due to his throwing his secondary pitches for strikes.

"Threw both a slider and curveball but slider is the much better present pitch, maintains slot and tunnels the pitch well. Flashed quality deception to his change up with swing and miss potential in the future. Impressive combination of velocity, secondary pitches and ability to throw strikes. Very good student, verbal commitment to Vanderbilt. Selected to play in the Perfect Game All-American Classic."

Interestingly, Smith originally committed to Vanderbilt before decommitting to attend Northwest Florida State, a junior college in Florida. He redshirted his freshman season there.

He later backed out of the JUCO route and moved to Dallas Baptist University of Conference USA for a year before transferring to Texas A&M in 2024, where he's spent the last two seasons.

Last season, Smith made five appearances as a reliever and struck out two in as many innings. The year before, he appeared in seven games and notched seven strikeouts in six innings.

While his college track record is limited — posting a 15.09 ERA over just 11.1 innings across three seasons — it's worth noting that he was once ranked as the No. 16 right-handed pitcher in his high school class, highlighting the raw talent that made him a top prospect early on.

In summer ball this year, he's posted a 2.25 ERA in eight innings pitched. His four-seam fastball clocks in at 90 to 93 mph with a top speed of 94 mph. His sinker has the same velocity, while his sweeper comes in at 79 to 82 mph. The biggest strength? Smith has been working on a sidearm, one that's been developed for two months, per his X.

Though he hasn't seen much time on the mound in college, Smith’s raw tools merit interest. His high ceiling is reason enough to take a flyer.

One thing to note is that, given his limited college track record, he may face an uphill battle to earn a roster spot; his lab metrics haven’t consistently translated to game performance yet. Only time will tell whether this move works out, but this is an interesting get for Virginia Tech baseball.

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