Blake Smith
|
Position:
RHP
Born:
12/9/1987
Height:
6'2 / 225
Weight:
225
B/T:
L/R
Acquired:
Via trade from the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 23, 2015, for LHP Eric Surkamp. Originally drafted by the Dodgers in the second round of the 2009 MLB First-Year Player Draft (University of California-Berkeley).
Most Recent Stats at Time of Debut
| CURRENT SEASON STATS: 3-1 with a 3.53 ERA in 39 games at Charlotte (Triple-A), striking out 75 and walking 24 in 71.1 IP, while giving up 64 hits. |
Info & MLB Debut Date
|
Contract purchased from Charlotte on September 6. MLB Debut Date: 9/10/2016 |
Debut Details
| September 10, in a 6-5 loss to the Kansas City Royals. The last of five pitchers, he tossed one perfect inning. Coming on to start the top of the ninth in relief of reliever Juan Minaya, Smith got the first batter he faced, Cheslor Cuthbert, to ground out to third base. He then got Jarrod Dyson to ground out to second before retiring Whit Merrifield on a fly ball to right field. Of nine pitches thrown, six were for strikes. |
Player Notes
| A converted outfielder, Smith shifted to the mound in 2013 and has posted a 3.86 ERA in four pro seasons since the move. He had some power and a live bat at the plate, with his best seasons coming in 2011 when he hit .304 with 20 homers and 73 RBIs, most of the time spent at Rancho Cucamonga (High A). In 2015 between Tulsa (Double-A/Dodgers), Birmingham (Double-A/White Sox) and Charlotte, he combined to go 2-5 with a 2.89 ERA in 44 games, all relief, striking out 64 batters in 53 innings and walking 27 while allowing 45 hits. He was selected by the San Diego Padres in the second round of the Major League Phase of the 2015 Rule 5 Draft (Padres Assistant GM of Scouting, Logan White, had been the Scouting Director with the Dodgers during Smith’s time there) but did not stick on the 25-man roster as required and was returned to the White Sox on March 27, 2016. |