Jordan Smith

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Cincinnati Reds #16 prospect in 2010
  Poised to make a breakthrough in 2009, Smith got off to a solid start but went down when the same knee problems that have bothered him in past years flared up again. He had surgery to clear up torn cartilage in 2008 but had further knee pain and went on the disabled list last April. He tried to return quickly, but continued discomfort led to elbow pain from his attempts to compensate for his knee, and the Reds shut him down for good in early July. When healthy, Smith throws a 92-93 mph fastball that has plenty of sink, and he backs it up with an average slider. He doesn't have a true strikeout pitch, but he succeeds by working down in the zone and generating lots of grounders. Because his changeup is fringy and he has had trouble with injuries, Smith may eventually end up as a reliever, where his fastball could play up. He returned to the mound in instructional league and should start 2010 back in Double-A.
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  Ranked Cincinnati Reds #13 prospect in 2009
  Smith's 2008 season started strong and finished poorly, but he provided reason for optimism. He opened 2008 at high Class A Sarasota and quickly earned a promotion to Double-A, after which he failed to make it out of the sixth inning in seven of his 11 starts. Finally in late July, Smith told Chattanooga's trainer that his knee had been bothering him for a while. An exam showed he had torn cartilage, which required surgery and shut him down for the rest of the season. The injury was a relief of sorts because it explained why his season had gone south. When healthy, Smith has a heavy 91-94 mph fastball with excellent sink. He also throws a plus slider that induces weak contact rather than strikeouts and a fringy changeup. Smith doesn't miss a lot of bats, but everything he throws is heavy and he induces lots of grounders. Even while scuffling in Double-A, he recorded twice as many groundouts as flyouts. He also lives in the strike zone and likes to pitch inside, busting hitters in on the hands with pitches that can sting. Smith's knee has recovered, and he'll return to Double-A to start the season.
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  Ranked Cincinnati Reds #23 prospect in 2007
  Smith was a catcher/first baseman when he began his college career at Salt Lake CC, but it quickly became apparent that his arm was more promising than his bat and he moved to the mound midway through his freshman season. He transferred to the CC of Southern Nevada to get more innings as his new club's closer. He showed a plus fastball, a durable, projectable pitcher's frame and enough athleticism and durability to intrigue scouts, whose only disappointment was how infrequently Smith pitched. For a converted position player, Smith has shown some natural feel for pitching and he has a smooth free and easy delivery. The Reds, who signed him for $152,500, believe he has potential as a starter even though right now his fastball is the only pitch he's truly comfortable with throwing. Smith's fastball sits at 90-93 mph, touching 96 with some good natural movement. Smith had thrown a little harder in college, but the Reds told him to worry less about velocity and more about repeating his delivery without overthrowing. His hard curve and changeup are significantly behind his fastball, but his curve has some potential. Smith is rawer than most 20-yearold pitchers so expect the Reds to be patient. He'll open 2007 in low Class A