Former Razorback Smith still dominating hitters for Double-A Barons

Now, for the stats Smith finds hard to swallow:
* 27 walks in those 37 innings
* Five hit batters
* 7 earned runs in last 9.2 innings

Chalk up some of the struggles to reworking mechanics in his delivery, to provide more assurance of avoiding injuries or arm troubles.

That's led to more wildness than usual, although the hard-throwing left-hander has struggled to stay in the zone most of the season.

Teel has been promoted to the major league club this season. Schultz, who started with Smith at Double A Birmingham before jumping to Triple A, is expected to at least get a September call-up while Montgomery is at high-A ball and projected to reach The Show in 2027.

Smith has always figured to join the White Sox in 2026 and be a mainstay with the 6-foot-9 Schultz atop the rotation.

Before the 2025 season began, Schultz and Smith made history as the first teammates to ever be ranked 1-2 in all of baseball among left-handed pitching prospects.

Smith had occasional outings or periods while at Arkansas when he struggled to hit the mitt consistently. But he always worked through it without too much difficulty.

He also never lost that exceptional swing-and-miss stuff on both his upper 90s fastball and wipeout slider.

Smith has found a way to dominate hitters in pro ball despite his semi-wildness at the Double A level.

Changing mechanics is a common theme for minor leaguers, whether they're hitters or pitchers.

I've no doubt Smith will come out the back end of his transition period as the overpowering starting pitcher everyone saw when he was drafted.

The draft followed a storybook season when Smith was National Pitcher of the Year for coach Dave Van Horn and the Hogs.

He signed for a record $8 million with the White Sox, highest contract ever for a left-handed pitcher in the draft.

Odds are high the White Sox will consider that a bargain 10 years from now.

HOGS FEED: