An 18th-round pick by the Padres out of a Texas high school in 2018, Smith barely pitched in his first two seasons at Alabama, fighting the strike zone while logging a 6.26 ERA in 23 innings. He has emerged as one of the better starters in the Southeastern Conference this year and the Crimson Tide's best pitching prospect since the Tigers made Spencer Turnbull a second-round pick in 2014. Smith could go in similar territory in July.
He has added some velocity this spring and now works in the low 90s and peaks at 95 mph with some armside run on his fastball. He has exhibited aptitude for spinning the ball since his high school days and his best offering is an 82-86 mph slider with tilt. He also has an upper-70s curveball with downer break and has some feel for a changeup that should become an average pitch as he uses it more often.
Smith has added 30 pounds in college and still has more projection remaining in his 6-foot-2 frame. His athleticism and quick arm allow him to produce quality stuff without much effort in his high three-quarters delivery. He's pounding the strike zone more than ever, though he'll need to refine his command to succeed as a starter against more advanced hitters.
Taken by the Tigers in the third round of the 2021 Draft out of Alabama, Smith looked like he might fly out of the gate toward Detroit, but his 88 1/3 innings in his first full season (mostly with High-A West Michigan) remain a career high all these years later. The right-hander was limited by forearm, triceps and shoulder injuries, and facing his age-25 season in 2025, he moved to the bullpen with Double-A Erie. He’s flourished in that role and debuted with the Tigers’ Major League relief corps on June 2.
As expected, Smith’s fastball velocity has taken a nice jump in shorter stints, moving from 92-94 as a starter in 2024 to 93-96, touching 98, as a reliever. On top of the velo, the four-seamer comes with cut-ride action to give it a boost, and Smith will mix in a sinker to present batters with another look with more armside run. The former Crimson Tide hurler’s mid-80s sweeper has become his go-to breaking ball (over his curveball) and best pitch at generating whiffs-per-swing with 9-12 inches of horizontal break. Smith also has a splitter around the same velo to kill spin and give him another option for lefties, though it lags behind the other pitches in usage.
Smith’s control hasn’t suffered even as his stuff has ticked up, and he isn’t overthrowing from his high three-quarters slot to get that extra juice. The injuries were what moved him to the bullpen in the first place, and it seems like one-to-two-inning stints are the best way to keep him on the mound and harness the best version of his arsenal. He could become a key piece of A.J. Hinch’s relief plans as the Tigers head back toward the postseason.
The Tigers, who have traditionally loved SEC pitchers, looked like they’d found a hidden gem in Smith after the former University of Alabama stud dominated High-A hitters for his first nine starts of 2022 at West Michigan. Injuries, including arm fatigue in 2022 and a forearm strain last year, have halted his progress since then. He opened last season at Double-A Erie but made just three appearances before his forearm injury cost him three months. He ended the season back at West Michigan with a strong stretch run, then struck out 30 batters over 21 innings despite a 7.29 ERA in the Arizona Fall League.
When Smith is healthy, he has a good fastball-slider combination, the latter of which is a sharp swing-and-miss pitch set up by a mid-90s heater. His command comes and goes from his compact delivery, though he was much better at limiting walks after returning from his forearm issue. His time in and out of action has limited his opportunities to work on his changeup as a solid third pitch and polish the others for improved command.
This is a critical season for Smith, who becomes Rule 5 Draft-eligible next fall. He already faced speculation out of the Draft that his best chance at the Major Leagues would be as a reliever, and his injuries haven’t allowed him much of a chance to counter.
Find someone who loves you like the Tigers have loved SEC pitchers over the years. Seven years after Detroit grabbed Spencer Turnbull as a second-round pick from the University of Alabama, they saw past Smith’s 2-8 record on a struggling Crimson Tide squad and snared him in the third round of the 2021 Draft. The move looked like a hidden gem as Smith rolled through Midwest League lineups for the first two months of the 2022 season, but midseason arm fatigue cost him a month on the injured list. He returned to the Whitecaps for the stretch run and flashed potential again, salvaging a solid first pro season. A right forearm strain has limited him again in 2023, but he was building himself back up in July and August.
Smith has a good pitcher’s body for his three-quarters delivery. His fastball was an effective offering at 94-95 mph early in the year but became more hittable later. His slider has generally been his out pitch, but he worked at times on using his changeup in more situations to give himself another way to attack hitters. He generally pounds the strike zone, which makes his high strikeout rate and low home run total more impressive.
Smith’s injury concerns have fueled the thought that his Major League future is in relief, but the Tigers want to give the determined right-hander every chance to prove himself as a starter. Staying healthy would go a long way, but so would further work on the changeup. Having turned 23 in May, getting him upper-level experience remains a priority.
The Tigers love strong pitchers from the Southeastern Conference and couldn’t pass up the chance when Smith was available to them in the third round of the 2021 Draft. Despite a 2-8 record on a struggling Alabama squad, he was a breakout pitcher who blossomed into a front-line starter as a junior after throwing just 23 innings over the previous two seasons. He was the school’s best pitching prospect since Spencer Turnbull, who went to the Tigers in the second round of the 2014 Draft.
Smith can spot both sides of the plate with a 93- to 95-mph fastball, having picked up velocity through college as he added strength. While scouts like his mid-80s slider, he has an affinity for an upper-70s curveball that dives late, though he sometimes gets caught in between on the two and throws a hanger. He also throws a splitter that works as an offspeed pitch. He hides the ball well behind his strong frame with late explosion in his three-quarters delivery, playing up his fastball. He also has learned to use his legs more behind his pitches. He has an aggressive mentality to attack the strike zone, but he’s learning to use counts to set up his varied arsenal.
The Tigers have been willing to move college pitchers aggressively through their system over the years when they meet the early challenge. Smith could have that potential, but the club would like to work with his mechanics to further tap into his athleticism.
An 18th-round pick by the Padres out of a Texas high school in 2018, Smith barely pitched in his first two seasons at Alabama, fighting the strike zone while logging a 6.26 ERA in 23 innings. He emerged as one of the better starters in the Southeastern Conference this year and the Crimson Tide's best pitching prospect since the Tigers made Spencer Turnbull a second-round pick in 2014. Interestingly enough, it was Detroit that came calling again, taking Smith in the third round this July. He signed for $1.12 million, just above slot for the 74th overall pick.
After adding some velocity this spring, the 6-foot-2 hurler now works in the low 90s and peaks at 95 mph with some armside run on his fastball. He has exhibited aptitude for spinning the ball since his high school days, and his best offering is an 82-86 mph slider with tilt. He also has an upper-70s curveball with downer break and has some feel for a changeup that should become an average pitch as he uses it more often.
Smith added 30 pounds in college and still has more projection remaining in his 6-foot-2 frame. His athleticism and quick arm allow him to produce quality stuff without much effort in his high three-quarters delivery. He pounded the strike zone more than ever, though he'll need to refine his command to succeed as a starter against more advanced hitters as he enters the pro ranks.
How this works:
This section shows two different ways to evaluate pitch movement.
On the left, “Total Movement” shows the real-world movement of a pitch, including the forces of gravity, which affects every pitch thrown.
Since gravity requires time, and slower pitches aren't 'better' just because they have more time to move, a pitch's movement is compared to other pitches of the same pitch type, within +/- 2 MPH and +/- 0.5 feet of extension/release.
On the right, Induced Movement (or IVB) is reported without gravity, and attempts to isolate movement created by the pitcher's ability to spin and manipulate the ball.
These run values are leveraged, meaning the base/out situation at the time of the event does impact the run value (thus introducing context outside the batter's own contribution).
! Note: Shifts are through the 2022 season, Shaded starting from the 2023 season, Shift:
three or more infielders are on the same side of second base, Shade: positioned outside of
their typical responsible slices of the field. Learn more about
how positioning is defined here
