Hagen Smith selected No. 5 overall by Chicago White Sox in MLB Draft
Arkansas junior left-handed pitcher Hagen Smith is headed to the pros, as he was selected 5th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox on Sunday. Smith is the first Razorback to go in the first round of the draft since Heston Kjerstad was selected second overall by the Baltimore Orioles in 2020.
The 2024 SEC Pitcher of the Year posted 11 quality starts and 11 double-digit strikeout games this spring. He earned a 9-2 record, 2.04 ERA and 161 strikeouts across 84.0 innings.
A native of Bullard, Texas, was also honored as national pitcher of the year by the College Baseball Foundation and Perfect Game. He's been named a first team All-American by four different outlets so far, as well.
ALSO READ: Hagen Smith becomes Arkansas strikeout king
Part of Smith’s historic season included him becoming the Diamond Hogs’ new career strikeout king by passing Nick Schmidt (2003-06, 345 strikeouts) with a total of 360 strikeouts across his three seasons in Fayetteville. Smith’s 161 punchouts were also enough to pass David Walling (1999, 155 strikeouts) for the most in a single season in program history.
"A guy like Hagen (Smith), I’m just telling you, when they get him to their site and they’ll take him to their spring site and he throws a bullpen in front of them, and then they put him in a scrimmage against some guys, they’re going to go, ‘Wow, this is not normal,' head coach Dave Van Horn said on June 26. "If he throws it over the plate, they may start him somewhere, they may just say, ‘Put him in the bullpen up there in September, what the heck. He’s going to be in the big leagues next year.’"
The Razorbacks have now had at least one affiliated player taken in every MLB Draft since 1975. Arkansas’ streak of 50 years is tied with Auburn - assuming it has a player drafted - for the second longest active streak in the SEC.
Smith was the second pitcher to go off the board in the draft, as Wake Forest right-hander Chase Burns went No. 2 overall to the Cincinnati Reds.
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First-round picks from Arkansas
1981 - OF Kevin McReynolds - 6th overall, San Diego Padres
1986 - SS Jeff King - 1st overall, Pittsburgh Pirates
1999 - RHP Dave Walling - 27th overall, New York Yankees
2007 - LHP Nick Schmidt - 23rd overall, San Diego Padres
2008 - 3B Logan Forsythe - 46th overall, San Diego Padres
2010 - 3B Zack Cox - 25th overall, St. Louis Cardinals
2013 - RHP Ryne Stanek - 29th overall, Tampa Bay Rays
2015 - OF Andrew Benintendi - 7th overall, Boston Red Sox
2020 - OF Heston Kjerstad - 2nd overall, Baltimore Orioles
2024 - LHP Hagen Smith, 5th overall, Chicago White Sox