Hagen Smith's Incredible Night Shows White Sox He is Ready for the Call

After an unexpectedly great start by the Chicago White Sox in 2026, the team has hit a bit of a snag of late, losing its last two series in somewhat embarrassing fashion.

What was one of the team's strengths (pitching) has now become a major weakness as we near the MLB trade deadline. The team's ERA over the last five games sits at an underwhelming 5.57. They also rank just 20th in total strikeouts this season, while their 246 walks as a group represent the seventh-most in the MLB. If they want to be taken seriously as a playoff contender, this may have to be an area they address.

With that in mind, we've already seen a top prospect, Noah Schultz, be called up to start games. Could another be on the way?

White Sox No. 4 prospect (No. 47 overall per MLB Pipeline), Hagen Smith, has been dominating of late in a hitter-friendly Triple-A league.

Why It's Time for Hagen Smith to Be Called Up

Nov 9, 2025; Mesa, AZ, USA; Chicago White Sox pitcher Hagen Smith during the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

After early-season struggles, Smith has been a force for the Charlotte Knights. While the overall numbers may not show it, Smith has been improving over the course of the year with his control.

Since a May 15 start in which Smith walked five batters in 3.2 innings, Smith has walked only 10 total batters in his next four starts.

On Sunday, he pitched well again with 4.2 shutout innings and nine strikeouts, along with three walks.

Hagen Smith (@whitesox) reaches a career-high 92 pitches in a scoreless outing for Triple-A @KnightsBaseball:
4 2/3 IP
3 H
0 R
3 BB
9 K (T-season high)
19 swings-and-misses pic.twitter.com/bCTVZN28XZ
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 7, 2026

At this point, it seems like Smith's promotion is a matter of when, not if. However, it should be sooner rather than later.

The White Sox selected Smith in the first round (fifth overall) in the 2024 MLB Draft out of the University of Arkansas. His stock couldn't be higher after a season that saw him strike out 17.3 batters per nine innings, an NCAA single-season record.

However, after injuries and inconsistent control, his stock fell quite a bit. But the lefty is needed now. The White Sox pitching staff has struggled over the past couple of weeks. Since June 1, the White Sox have given up 35 runs in just six games.

The starting rotation has been terrible, with rookie David Sandlin giving up 11 runs in his last two starts. Sandlin isn't the only pitcher struggling. Erick Fedde has had a below-average year with a 4.94 ERA. In addition, Anthony Kay, after a good six-game stretch, gave up six runs in four innings in his last start.

Schultz was also struggling immensely until he was placed on the 15-day injured list. Sean Burke and Davis Martin have been the only consistent pitchers this season, and the White Sox could use an impact arm.

While it's been theorized that Chicago could add at the trade deadline, it may be more prudent to just give the youngster a chance. After all, you have to see what you have in the young prospect, right?

If one thing is for sure, Smith has given the Sox every reason to go down this road. The last thing you want is for the momentum you built to come to a screeching halt. Especially with breakout star Munetaka Murakami stuck on the IL, the Sox have to look for other ways to pump life into this squad. Smith is showing that he has the improved stuff to be one of those ways.

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