Austin
Smith

A converted third baseman and transfer from Southwestern University (Tex.), Smith is a power-armed right-hander with a 94-96 mph fastball and a short slider at 84 as his main two weapons. He will also show an upper-80s split finger. During a May 28, 2020 workout, Smith ran his fastball up to 98.9 mph. For a By the Numbers look back at that workout- Austin Smith TrackMan Session. With a quick arm and much improved delivery since my last look in the summer of 2019 Smith continues to throw with effort, but it’s now going in the right direction...to the plate...instead of towards the first base dugout. During his first appearance in Frisco, he closed out the Wildcats’ 12-1 W over Oklahoma by striking out all three batters he faced. The last pitch he threw was a nasty 89 mph splitty. It appeared to change directions a couple times on the way to the plate and dove straight down to finish. If he is able to consistently control that pitch and release from the same slot as his fastball, it could be a big league splitter that should rack up swing/miss. Currently ranked No. 169 which equates to the 7th-8th round, Smith has the potential to be drafted a couple rounds higher with continued quality performances out of the Desert Cats’ bullpen.

2020 DRAFT: First seen in the 2019 Northwoods League, Smith touched 96 at the Prospect's Showcase. Long and slender at 6-foot-4, 190 pounds he is a converted third baseman with good arm strength and developing pitchability. During a recent workout for the PBR scouting staff in Texas, Smith ran his fastball up to 98.9 mph and averaging 96.9 on the TrackMan unit. He releases the baseball from a high, near over-the-top slot and lands under control and on-line to the plate. There is some effort in the delivery which hampers his ability to repeat each pitch, but he explodes off the rubber, getting down the mound with ease, showing his natural athleticism throughout. He was able to show off his electric fastball as well as flash potentially plus secondary offerings as they continue to refine. The velocity on his fastball with a movement profile helps separate him from other fire ballers across the country. He is able to average an induced vertical break of 19.3 inches which puts him in the top 5% of the MLB right now. You will see higher induced vertical breaks with pitchers who throw with a lower velocity, but when you have that velocity and that much induced vertical break, its a special fastball to say the least. Each of his secondary offerings would flash promise and swing and miss ability but struggled at times to repeat them consistently. All of that is quite understandable knowing that he is still relatively new on the mound. He showed a low-spin (1083) split changeup at 85 mph that he telegraphs a bit by dropping his release point. His best split finger of the day looked to change directions a couple times on the way to the plate and dove straight down late. It had a movement profile of: IVB: 0.2 HB: 8.3. If he is able to control that pitch, it could be a big league splitter that garners swing and miss ability. The breaking balls were more consistent than the split finger. The slider came in at an average velocity of 81.2 mph with an average spin rate of 2493 rpm and showed late glove side action. He understands the shape of the pitch and how to spin the ball. His curve ball seemed to be a pitch he used to change speeds and really slow a batter down, but was thrown the least amount on the day. It had an average velocity was 73.8 mph with an average spin rate of 2513 RPM. The future is quite bright for Austin Smith as he is just beginning to tap into his potential.