Jake Smith

Position: RHP
Born: 6/2/1990
Height: 6'4
Weight: 190
B/T: R/R
Acquired: Claimed off waivers from the Giants on July 6, 2016 (SDP). Originally drafted in the 48th round of the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft (SFG).

Most Recent Stats at Time of Debut
CURRENT SEASON STATS: 2-1 with a 5.67 ERA in 29 games between Richmond (Double-A/Giants), Arizona League (Rookie League/Padres) and San Antonio (Double-A/Padres), striking out 32 while walking 25 in 27 innings, giving up 21 hits.

Info & MLB Debut Date
Recalled from San Antonio on September 7.
MLB Debut Date: 9/7/2016

Debut Details
September 7, in a 7-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox. The fourth of five pitchers, he allowed one run on two hits in one inning. Of 14 pitches thrown, nine were for strikes. Coming on for reliever Kevin Quackenbush to start the top of the eighth, Smith gave up a home run on the first pitch he threw in the big leagues to Hanley Ramirez, a line drive shot to left field. The next batter he faced, Sandy Leon, singled to center field, but Jackie Bradley then grounded into a 3-6-3 double play before Chris Young flew out to center field to end the inning.

Player Notes
One of the best cool stories in the minors, Smith didn’t get “eyes” on him when he was in high school in North Augusta, S.C. (across the river from Augusta, GA), as he was homeschooled and pitched for a team of fellow homeschool students before heading to a small college, Darton State (Albany, GA) As legend has it (and yeah, it’s pretty much legendary in its coolness) for three years, from 2009-2011, he would volunteer over the summer to help out with the grounds crew at Lake Olmsted Stadium, the home of the Augusta GreenJackets (the Giants’ Class A South Atlantic League affiliate) and it was there that he struck up a friendship with then-GreenJackets pitching coach Steve Kline. One day, Kline watched Smith throw on the sidelines and set up a bullpen session. The Giants were impressed enough to actually offer Smith a small stipend to sign with them, but instead Smith opted to stay in school, moving up to Campbell University, a private Division I program, where he pitched for two years before becoming draft eligible. He continued to spend his summers on the grounds crew in Augusta, until the Giants took him in the 2011 draft. And yes, he actually pitched FOR the GreenJackets during the 2014 season, starting the summer there and splitting the campaign between both Class A stops, Augusta and San Jose (High A), combining to go 3-6 with a 3.62 ERA in 51 games, striking out 85 while walking 34 in 64.2 IP while giving up 55 hits. In 2015 he was at San Jose, going 4-4 with a 2.35 ERA in 56 games collecting 16 saves and striking out 118 while walking just 21, giving up 50 hits in 84 1/3 innings. Shoulder trouble slowed Smith this past spring and his results on the mound when he returned at Richmond were shaky enough for the Giants that they placed him on waivers. The Padres claimed him, and the results … well, here he is in the big leagues! And chances are he won’t be pulling tarp during rain delays. Or, who knows? Maybe he will! He seems like that cool a guy. And one other thing you can bet on: The Padres and Giants may be division rivals, but there’s at least one member of Giants’ personnel who is going to be rooting for Smith’s success: Richmond Flying Squirrels pitching coach Steve Kline.