Hagen Smith Already Looks Like a Star In The Making in MLB

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Former Arkansas pitcher Hagen Smith has had no trouble adjusting to the big leagues so far.

The all-time UA strikeout leader made his MLB debut on Aug. 9 with the Chicago White Sox, throwing two scoreless innings against the Cleveland Guardians in relief and earning the win. For an encore, he struck out three of the four batters he faced on Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds. The White Sox, who currently hold a slim lead in the AL Central race, won both games.

Arkansas pitching coach Matt Hobbs was complimentary of smith after his big league debut.

"It's so cool for Hagen to get up there and do it and get a win in the first outing," Hobbs said Tuesday on the Chuck and Bo Show. "It's a really cool thing to get there. It's such an awesome thing when guys make their debut. For Hagen, it's what are you going to do with it?"

Hobbs added that Smith's delivery on the mound has changed from his time at Arkansas, though it clearly wasn't a bad thing.

"I think that they've tried to do some things to maybe get him more on-line or throw more strikes," Hobbs said. "I don't know why there's adjustments made sometimes. We always hope its for the better when they do something like that. It is different. I think they're all going to be a little bit different the longer they go into their careers.

"It looks like he added a cutter, or it has a little more depth than it used to. There's certainly some differences. Fastball's got a little bit more rise at the top."

Hagen Smith's 3Ks in the 8th. pic.twitter.com/fw0jW43xSy
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 13, 2026

After walking the the first batter he faced on Wednesday against the Reds, Smith used that aforementioned cutter to get his first strikeout of the game.

He then blew a 94 MPH fastball by Noelvi Marte for his second K of the inning before ending the frame with a slider that dipped into the dirt but fooled Matt McClain, who swung and missed on the 0-2 pitch. Smith was credited with a hold on Wednesday.

It's obviously very early in the Bullard, Texas, native's MLB career, but so far, Smith has looked like an excellent relief pitcher with the chance to carve out a solid career.

Given that he's on a team currently leading its division, Smith throwing meaningful pitches in the MLB postseason this fall isn't at all out of the question.

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