Smith looking to go from Rule 5 pick to impact arm

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Shane Smith mowed down one of baseball’s most intimidating lineups.

Not bad for a Rule 5 pick who has yet to make his big league debut.

Smith struck out five in three innings of work in Saturday’s 5-2 win over the Dodgers, marking the 24-year-old’s second consecutive Spring Training start in which he did not allow a run. That’s even more impressive considering he faced a loaded lineup that included Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.

Smith struck out Ohtani twice -- swinging in the first inning and looking in the third -- and did not allow a runner past first base. He also whiffed Freeman, Will Smith and Chris Taylor, ending his third start of the spring with 49 pitches, including 32 for strikes.

Smith has lowered his ERA from 21.60 on Feb. 24 to its current mark of 5.40, and has also brought his WHIP down to 0.75.

“Consistency is everything,” said Smith, Chicago's No. 26 prospect per MLB Pipeline. “You’re going to have good days and bad days, but the more good days you stack, the better.”

Saturday’s game perfectly illustrated what general manager Chris Getz and his staff saw in the young right-hander before making him the first selection in last December’s Rule 5 Draft.

Smith was plucked from the Brewers’ organization, where he spent time with Double-A Biloxi and Triple-A Nashville in 2024. Though he was undrafted out of Wake Forest in ’21, he has slowly climbed the professional ranks after recovering from Tommy John surgery undergone during his senior year.

He has been lights out following one rough inning in his first start of the spring, and White Sox manager Will Venable has taken notice.

“The one outing, the first start, that first inning was a little rough and then he got right back in the zone,” Venable said. “To watch him make those adjustments and perform like he has, has been great, so I just hope he can continue to do that.”

Last season in the Minors, Smith was 6-3 with a 3.05 ERA while striking out 113 batters in 32 appearances, half of which were starts. His four-seam fastball has set the tone this spring, and on Saturday it accounted for 27 of his 49 pitches.

He topped out at 98.4 miles per hour, and 44 percent of his fastballs were either called strikes or whiffs. He also mixed in his slider, changeup and curveball, but overwhelmingly relied on his fastball to establish control and take over the game.

“Fastball for strikes; if I don’t have that, then it’s going to be a really long day,” Smith said. “If I can get that first strike, I think good things can happen.”

The stakes on Saturday were as high as they have ever been for the young righty, who continues to impress throughout a small subset of Spring Training games. Venable said Smith is being considered as a potential starter, but the young pitcher said he’s not getting caught up in the thought of potentially making his Major League debut in the coming weeks.

He showed the ability to block out those distractions against Los Angeles, highlighted by his two battles against Ohtani. The Dodgers’ DH entered the game hitting .417 with one home run this spring, but was foiled in both at-bats against Smith.

That’s one way to build a case as a starter.

“I think we’ll continue to build him up as a starter, knowing he can be a versatile piece for us,” Venable said. “I think we owe it to him, and his ability, to stretch him out and look at him as a starter here.”

If Smith can continue to produce at the rate he’s been showing over his past few starts, he’ll make any potential decision awfully easy on the White Sox. Even so, Smith said he’s remaining laser-focused on tuning out any of the noise, all while taking advantage of his best opportunity to finally crack a big league roster.

“I try not to think about it as best I can, especially on days I’m pitching,” Smith said. “I know what these outings mean, I know what being here means, I’m grateful to be here, I’m grateful to have the opportunity, and it’s all about what I do on the field.”