Josh H. Smith Stats & Scouting Report College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects

Track Record: Smith was a standout both at Louisiana State and in the Cape Cod League, where he was teammates with future NL Rookie of the Year Jonathan India and future NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Kyler Murray. The Yankees selected Smith in the second round of the 2019 draft, then traded him in 2021 to the Rangers as part of the package used to acquire Joey Gallo and Joely Rodriguez.

Scouting Report: Smith’s season was delayed by a few weeks after he dove into a tarp during minor league spring training, but once he got on the field he showed an enticing blend of tools and polish. He did an excellent job working counts to get pitches to drive, then punished balls from gap to gap. He rarely chases, and when he swings at pitches in the zone he almost never misses. Smith hits the ball hard as well, with an average exit velocity of 91.1 mph and a max of 106 mph. Smith is a capable shortstop but likely will begin to move around the diamond to increase his versatility.

The Future: Now that the Rangers have locked up Corey Seager and Marcus Semien to fill their middle infield spots, Smith likely fits the role of a super-utility player. He could make his big league debut in 2022.

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