Chicago White Sox P Shane Smith on All-Star Selection: 'Not Something I Envisioned'

The 25-year-old opened the season with a 1-3 record and 2.68 ERA in 11 starts through May. In his three losses, he gave up a total of five earned runs, with the White Sox scoring just four.

He has struggled since. He was the losing pitcher Sunday as the White Sox dropped a 6-4 game to the Colorado Rockies and now is 3-7 with a 4.20 ERA in 17 starts. He has thrown 83.2 innings with 76 strikeouts.

Smith acknowledged the rough going of late when speaking with reporters after the game.

“Unbelievable. Really thankful. The last month doesn’t really feel like I deserve it. There’s a lot of guys in there that have played really well over the stretch,” he said, speaking of his teammates in the locker room.”

“It really hasn't sunk in yet,” he continued. “I don't think it will probably until I get there but extremely grateful … (for) the White Sox to take a chance on me in the Rule 5 and to put a good, you know, 10-11 starts together.”

He never imagined the twists and turns the 2025 season would take.

“Just to fight for a roster spot in spring to being in Atlanta in July is not something that I envisioned or expected by any means,” he said.

The White Sox provided these other fun facts about Smith’s selection:

• He is one of two rookies to be selected an All-Star – Jacob Wilson of the Athletics is the other – and of 19 players to be chosen for a first time.

• He is the first rookie pitcher and seventh rookie player overall in White Sox history to be named an All-Star. First baseman Jose Abreu was the most recent rookie selection in 2014.

• His 2.37 ERA was the fourth lowest since 1950 by a Sox pitcher over the first 13 career starts.

• In his second career start on April 8 at Cleveland, he became the fifth White Sox pitcher since 1974 to no-hit a team for at least five innings in one of his first two career starts.

Smith said he planned to spend time in Atlanta being a “sponge” and soaking up what he could from the greats of the game. Perhaps he will pick up some tips that will help him to have a dominant second half of the season for the White Sox after the All-Star break.