Jake Smith
| IP | 4 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.5 |
| WHIP | 1.5 |
| BB/9 | 2.25 |
| SO/9 | 6.75 |
- Full name Jacob Matthew Smith
- Born 06/02/1990 in North Augusta, SC
- Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Campbell
- Debut 09/07/2016
- Drafted in the 48th round (1,467th overall) by the San Francisco Giants in 2011.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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While pitching at Campbell, Smith didn't really have much hope of a pro career, but he loved the game. The summer before his junior year he took a job working with the low Class A Augusta grounds crew. There he got to know GreenJackets pitching coach Steve Kline, who watched a Smith bullpen session and passed his info on to the Giants' scouting department. San Francisco took a late-round flier on Smith in 2011, taking him in the now-defunct 48th round, and they have watched him develop into a promising closer who led all minor league relievers with 118 strikeouts at high Class A San Jose in 2015. Smith can dominate with a 93-96 mph fastball, a high-80s cutter and a mid-80s slider. The development of his above-average cutter was a big part of his development in 2015 because batters had a more difficult time differentiating it from his fastball. His slider is an average pitch as well, though it can get a little sweepy at times. Smith's delivery has a little effort and some stiffness in his finish, but he has shown he can throw strikes consistently. The Giants added him to the 40-man roster in November.
