Hagen Smith has struggled during his first full minor-league season, generating concern after the White Sox used the No. 5 overall pick on the left-handed pitcher. The performance recalls Carson Fulmer, a prior first-round college arm who posted a 6.56 ERA and 1.63 WHIP with the White Sox before becoming a journeyman reliever. The team passed on notable hitters in that draft cycle, and those missed bats later proved impactful. The organization needs higher success with first-round selections to avoid repeating past draft regrets and to validate the current rebuild strategy.
Lots of positives with #WhiteSox right now but Hagen Smith's struggles are a massive disappointment. I'm getting Carson Fulmer vibes and they passed on premium hitting talent to take him as a fast moving college arm. Brian Bannister has a project on his hands.- James Fox (@JamesFox917) August 24, 2025 Fulmer was the highly regarded pitching prospect out of Vanderbilt that the team took with the No. 8 pick in the 2015 MLB Draft.
The White Sox could now be facing a similar fate of passing on some potential great bats to take a pitcher from an SEC school. While there's a lot to be excited about right now, that's still a big red flag. If this iteration of the rebuild is going to work out better than last time, the club must have a better hit rate on first-round picks.
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