Many were caught off-guard when the Chicago White Sox included Rule 5 rookie right-hander Shane Smith on the 2025 Opening Day roster. And he didn't just make the roster: He surprisingly opened the year in the club's rotation. However, that decision has paid immediate dividends for an organization desperately searching for any bit of optimism to cling to.
The White Sox knocked it out of the park by selecting Smith with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 Rule 5 Draft. Once an afterthought buried in the Milwaukee Brewers' farm system, he's now the ace of Chicago's pitching staff. While that may sound like more of an indictment on the South Siders, the 25-year-old has been awesome by any metric so far.
As we've seen, the White Sox aren't shy about trading away talented hurlers. Just ask Garrett Crochet and Erick Fedde. But Smith has shown he can be a mainstay in Chicago; don’t make him the next bargaining chip.
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Shane Smith's impressive rookie season has given White Sox fans something to look forward to
Smith is 1-3 with a 2.36 ERA, 1.106 WHIP and 49 strikeouts across 53.1 innings of work this season. His strong 8.27 K/9 ratio ranks 36th among qualified pitchers. He's been the lone bright spot for the cellar-dwelling White Sox.
Perhaps the most shocking development concerning Smith's emergence is that he was projected long-term as a reliever with only two pitches in the arsenal. But the Wake Forest product has completely reshaped his long-term outlook and added an unexpectedly nasty changeup. It's quickly become a go-to weapon, allowing him to target opposing batters in the bottom of the strike zone.
Not often do Rule 5 players go on to have long, successful careers. Nonetheless, Smith is shaping up as an exception to the norm. He's been an instant positive asset for the White Sox, boasting a team-high 1.3 WAR. The young twirler is making a case for one of the most impactful selections from the draft in recent memory.
If Smith doesn't spend the entire campaign with the White Sox, they'll have to option him back to the Brewers. Fortunately, his stellar play has made it easy for Chicago — he shouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon.