• Full name Joseph Michael Smith
  • Born 03/22/1984 in Cincinnati, OH
  • Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 211 / Bats: R / Throws: R
  • School Wright State
  • Debut 04/01/2007
  • Drafted in the 3rd round (94th overall) by the New York Mets in 2006 (signed for $410,000).
    View Draft Report
    Smith is one of the more improbable success stories in college baseball. He had shoulder surgery as a high school senior in 2002 and couldn't crack the Wright State roster in his first year at college. When he made the team as a walk-on in 2004, he used a high three-quarters arm slot and pitched at 85-87 mph. After Rob Cooper took over as head coach before the 2005 season, new assistant coach Greg Lovelady suggested Smith drop down to a sidearm delivery. That usually adds movement and subtracts velocity, but Smith's fastball now sits at 88-91 mph and reaches 94. He also throws a nasty slider and his changeup has improved this spring as well. Hitters have trouble picking up his pitches, as evidenced by his regular-season 0.75 ERA--which would lead NCAA Division I if he weren't five innings short of qualifying. Smith could move quickly as a pro reliever. Because he's a redshirt junior, he'll become a draft-and-follow if he doesn't sign this summer.

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Minor League Top Prospects

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  • Rated Best Slider in the New York Mets in 2007

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