RICHMOND, Va. – Richmond Flying Squirrels right-hander Darien Smith has been named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Month for April, Minor League Baseball announced on Tuesday afternoon.
Smith made four appearances for Richmond in April, going 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA (3 ER/20.0 IP). Among EL pitchers who worked at least 20 innings, Smith led the league in WHIP (0.75), was tied for first in ERA and ranked second in BAA (.145). He was also tied for third in the league in wins (3).
On April 7 in the Flying Squirrels’ home opener at CarMax Park, Smith picked up a win, allowing one run on two hits over four innings in his Double-A debut against Altoona.
In his first Double-A start on April 12 facing Altoona, Smith held the Curve hitless through 4.1 innings and struck out a career-high nine batters. He allowed one run, which reached on a walk in the fifth and scored after he departed the game.
Smith followed with 5.2 scoreless relief innings on April 18 at Hartford in a win, holding the Yard Goats to three hits with no walks and three strikeouts. It was the longest outing of his career at the time.
On April 25, Smith picked up his third win in four outings, throwing a career-high six innings against Somerset at CarMax Park and allowing one run.
Smith currently leads the Eastern League in ERA (1.08) and is tied for second in wins (4), ranks third in WHIP (0.92) and is fourth in BAA (.165). He has the seventh-lowest qualified ERA in the minors.
A native of Jacksonville, Fla., Smith pitched collegiately at Jacksonville University (2019), Eastern Florida State College (2020-21) and Florida Gulf Coast University (2022) before closing his college career at Southeastern University (2023-24), where he was the NAIA Pitcher of the Year and a First-Team NAIA All-American in 2024.
Smith signed with the Giants as a non-drafted free agent on August 21, 2024, and he made his professional debut last season with Low-A San Jose and High-A Eugene. For the year, he went 8-0 and led all Giants MiLB pitchers (min. 70 IP) with a 1.91 ERA across 20 outings, including three starts. He was named the California League Pitcher of the Week on June 6, 2025, with San Jose.
For his professional career, Smith is 12-0 with a 1.69 ERA (18 ER/95.2 IP) in 25 outings, including six starts. This is his first Pitcher of the Month award at any professional level.
Smith is the third player in Flying Squirrels franchise history to be named an Eastern League Pitcher of the Month, joining Matt Frisbee (May 2021) and Mason Black (June 2023). He also joins Mark Minicozzi (May 2013), Ricky Oropesa (May 2015) and Tyler Fitzgerald (April 2023) as Richmond players to win a monthly Eastern League award.
The Flying Squirrels are back at CarMax Park this week through Sunday for a six-game series against the Akron RubberDucks, Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. Tickets are available online at SquirrelsBaseball.com/Tickets, by phone at 804-359-FUNN (3866) or in person at the CarMax Park ticket office.