Hagen Smith selected No. 5 in 2024 MLB Draft

Razorback All-American lefty taken by Chicago White Sox

From the University of Arkansas

arkansasrazorbacks.com

FORT WORTH, Texas – Arkansas ace Hagen Smith was selected fifth overall by the Chicago White Sox in the 2024 MLB Draft, becoming the 10th Razorback to be chosen in the first round and the highest-drafted pitcher in program history.

Smith, the second pitcher and first left-hander taken in this year’s draft, is the first Arkansas player to be selected in the first round since outfielder Heston Kjerstad was picked second overall by the Baltimore Orioles in 2020, as well as the first Razorback pitcher to be drafted in the first round since right-hander Ryne Stanek went 29th overall to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2013. Smith is Arkansas’ third top-five overall draft selection and fifth top-10 overall draft pick in history, joining infielder Jeff King (1st overall, 1986), Kjerstad (2020), infielder Kevin McReynolds (6th overall, 1981) and outfielder Andrew Benintendi (7th overall, 2015).

With his fifth overall selection, Smith surpassed left-hander Nick Schmidt, taken 23rd overall by the San Diego Padres in 2007, to become the highestdrafted pitcher in Arkansas history.

Smith is the fourth Razorback pitcher to be selected in the first round of the draft, joining right-hander David Walling (27th overall, 1999), Schmidt (2007) and Stanek (2013).

Smith, the 260th overall MLB draft selection in Arkansas history and 137th overall MLB draft selection in the Dave Van Horn era, is the 20th overall Razorback pitcher selected and the 15th Razorback pitcher taken in the first 10 rounds of the draft since 2019, Matt Hobbs’ first season as pitching coach. In that span, Arkansas has had more pitchers selected in the MLB draft (20) than any program in the country, including a nation-leading 15 pitchers taken in the first 10 rounds.

The junior hurler will depart Arkansas as the most accomplished pitcher in program history. A unanimous firstteam All-American and the sixth twotime All-American in school history, Smith was crowned the National Pitcher of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings, College Baseball Foundation and Perfect Game in addition to finishing as a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy following his record-setting 2024 campaign.

Smith was unquestionably the best pitcher in college baseball this past year, concluding the season with a 9-2 record, 2.04 ERA and 161 strikeouts in 84.0 innings over 16 starts. Named the Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Year after going 7-0 with a 1.35 ERA and 110 strikeouts in 60.0 innings over 10 SEC starts on the mound, Smith led the country with an NCAA-record 17.25 strikeouts per nine innings and finished ranked first nationally in batting average against (.144) and hits allowed per nine innings (4.39), second in strikeouts (161), fourth in ERA (2.04) and seventh in WHIP (0.89).

The Bullard, Texas, native posted a team-leading 11 quality starts and logged a program-record 11 doubledigit strikeout games on the year, becoming the program’s all-time career strikeout king and single-season strikeout leader during his historic 2024 season.

Smith, who increased his career strikeout total to 360, overtook Schmidt (345) for sole possession of Arkansas’ career strikeout mark in addition to surpassing Walling’s singleseason strikeout record of 155 set in 1999 to move atop the program’s single season strikeout leaderboard (161).

In one of the greatest pitching performances in program history, Smith tied Arkansas’ single-game record with his 17-strikeout gem on 78 pitches over six shutout innings against Oregon State on Feb. 23 in the Kubota College Baseball Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Smith matched Razorback great Jess Todd’s single-game strikeout record (17), doing so in 40 fewer pitches than Todd threw against South Carolina on May 24, 2007, in the SEC Tournament.

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