2026 Position Previews: Starting Pitcher, Part 3
Analysis on SPs #52-#80 from the MLB DW SP ranks for 2026
View all position previews posts here.
Tier 8
I am crazy, crazy high on Shane Smith. That makes me think I must be missing something. But I’m seeing a really good four-seamer and a really good changeup with a 13.3% SwStr and a pretty competitive 3.62 JA ERA last year.
You don’t find too many guys with a 13% SwStr% on a fastball with two pitches behind it, also getting a bunch of whiffs. Smith’s issue is the command. His 37% Ball% wasn’t great, and it turned into a walk rate above 9%.
But I think he’s the White Sox best pitcher, and I think they’ll ride him pretty heavily this year. I’m excited to see what he can pull off. It will be a good test of the MLB DW process this year. What I wouldn’t do is reach like crazy to get him. Just let him come to you in the draft. If I’m totally wrong, he should come cheap enough to where it doesn’t hurt your teams very much.
Nobody likes Jack Flaherty. He gave us a 4.64 ERA last year, and he’s no stranger to high ERAs. In 2022, it was 4.25. He went up to 4.99 in 2023. But in 2024, he had a very nice season with a 3.17 ERA in 162 innings.
He doesn’t throw a ton of innings (max 162 in these last five years), but the K-BB% is always good. It was 19% last year. So he underperformed.
Now there’s a bunch of pressure taken off of him as the Tigers SP3 behind Skubal and Framber, and he’s set up for a bounce-back.
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