Unmatched strikeout stuff? A fastball that touches triple digits? A wipeout slider? Hagen Smith has it all. An elite left-handed pitching prospect in the 2024 Draft class, Smith has all the tools to be a top-flight starter in the Major Leagues.

Here's what to know about MLB Pipeline's No. 6 Draft prospect.

FAST FACTS
Position: LHP
Ht/Wt: 6-foot-3, 225 lbs.
B/T: Left/left
DOB: Aug. 19, 2003
College: Arkansas
High school: Bullard (Texas)
Born: Tyler, Texas
MLB Pipeline ranking: No. 6

An admirable arsenal

Standing in at the plate against 100 mph fastballs is never easy. But Smith makes it even harder for opposing hitters.

The lefty utilizes a funky delivery, throwing from a low-three-quarters arm slot and creating a ton of deception and rising action on his pitches. He typically sits 94-97 mph with his fastball but has been known to touch triple digits.

According to MLB Pipeline, though, the electric fastball isn't even Smith's best pitch. That would be his slider, which sits in the mid-80s and is equally effective against righties and lefties. The Arkansas southpaw also features a splitter in the upper 80s, although he sometimes struggles to command it.

More K's than anyone

The highest rate of strikeouts per nine innings in ALL of NCAA Division I baseball? That distinction has belonged to Smith for much of this season. As of May 17, the lefty had 150 punchouts in just 66 innings of work. That translates to a whopping 17.5 K/9 rate -- equating to nearly two batters per inning.

While it won't be easy for Smith to strike out quite as many batters in the Majors, his 2024 K/9 at Arkansas would easily top the record for qualified MLB starters.

An unforgettable performance ... on a big league field

Everything came together for Smith on Feb. 23, when the lefty delivered one of the most memorable pitching performances in recent history.

Facing seventh-ranked Oregon State at Globe Life Field (home of the Rangers), Smith recorded each of his first FIFTEEN outs by way of a strikeout. He struck out two more batters in the sixth inning, ending his night with a ridiculous stat line: six innings, three hits, no runs and a whopping 17 K's.

Smith's performance tied a single-game strikeout record for his Razorbacks. In MLB, no pitcher has struck out 17 or more batters in a game since Chris Sale fanned 17 on May 14, 2019 -- and no one has EVER had that many K's in six or fewer innings.

“That was probably the best I’ve ever thrown before," Smith recently recalled on the MLB Pipeline Podcast.

Bouncing back -- and then some

Smith underwent Tommy John surgery in the fall of 2019, his junior year of high school, after injuring his pitching elbow that summer. He missed the 2020 season (much of which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic) while rehabbing the injury.

"It was definitely tough, but I think it helped me a lot, honestly, just knowing that I had to do stuff to take care of my body," Smith said. "Before that, I just kind of showed up and pitched. Being able to do that rehab just put in my mind that I’ve got to work really hard for what I want to do."

Smith returned to the mound in 2021 to fire SEVEN no-hitters during his senior season, tying a Texas high school record. A top-100 recruit according to Perfect Game, Smith passed up the 2021 Draft to fulfill his commitment to Arkansas.

The lefty had a pair of strong seasons for the Razorbacks in 2022 and 2023, but his junior season has been by far his best yet. As of May 17, his 1.52 ERA led all Division I pitchers.

Staying in control

As Draft season nears, social media chatter increases. Smith acknowledges he's seen his name come up when baseball fans debate where the lefty will land. Will he be a top-five pick? What about the top 10? Will he be the first pitcher drafted?

For his part, Smith says he tries to block out the noise and do what he does best: dominate on the mound.

"If I see something scrolling on social media, I’ll just get off of it," he said. "I think people get into that and just get in their head at the end of the day. You just try to focus on what’s ahead in the season."

Decent dance moves

Smith has only posted one video to his personal TikTok page, but it's a good one.

Back in March 2020, Smith and three friends from the Bullard High School baseball team -- Gage Wakefield, Bryce Jewell and Connor Carson -- filmed themselves performing a synchronized dance workout. Smith might be hard to spot: The video predates the long hair he has been sporting while pitching for the Razorbacks.