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Super 60 Spotlight: LHP Jack Smith

February 1, 2023
PBR Alabama Staff

CHICAGO, IL - On Sunday, February 5, Prep Baseball Report will host the 21st edition of its prestigious, flagship event: the Super 60 Pro Showcase. This invitation-only event features only the top draft prospects in the Prep Baseball Report’s expansive coverage area. Over the last 20 years, the Super 60 has become the most heavily scouted preseason event for potential draft picks. The primary purpose of the Super 60 is to give professional area scouts, cross-checkers and scouting directors a head start to the high school season. The event is for draft-eligible Class of 2023 prospects.

Alabama will have three players attending Sunday's event in Chicago, and today, we take a look at LHP Jack Smith (Hartselle HS), the state's top-ranked southpaw in the senior class and Arkansas signee.

 

Smith's Path to the 2023 PBR Super 60

Of all three players from Alabama heading to the 2023 PBR Super 60, Jack Smith's path to the event may be the most unique one out of each. Both Mizell and Lawless were both established prospects seemingly by their freshman or sophomore years, but Smith has been a late-bloomer in terms of physically maturing and developing. The southpaw had attended a PBR Scout Day with Knights South back in December of 2020, where he was up to 78 mph with developing feel for his breaking ball and was nowhere near his potential. He was a solid, young prospect but still had plenty of room to continue to develop on the mound and grow into his frame at the time. He continued to get better over the next year, but was playing other sports and dealing with some injuries as well.

LHP Jack Smith (12/6/20)

Heading into the spring season last year, Smith was ranked outside the Top-80 in the 2023 class and hadn't pitched any at the varsity level for a loaded Hartselle Tiger pitching staff that featured multiple SEC commitments/signees. As a junior, the southpaw was uncommitted and was looking to jump on the radar of college recruiters and make a name for himself, but it would be tough to do so due to the three pitchers above him in the rotation that had already proven their abilities at the varsity level. Although a tall task on one of the state's best pitching rotations in 2022, Smith left his coaches with no choice but to insert himself into pitching some big innings for the Tigers using an overpowering arsenal once he was back to full-strength and mid-season form. In our first viewing of the southpaw in 2022, Smith had noticeably filled out into his frame, standing a strong 6-foot-3, 215-pounds. In the outing against a gritty Etowah squad in the second game of a double-header, the southpaw was featured out of the bullpen in a two-inning relief stint, where he consistently worked around the 88-90 mph range with a sharp mid-70's breaking ball. Smith would go on to strike out 5/6 hitters he faced, and immediately established himself as a hot commodity in terms of college recruiters. 

LHP Jack Smith (3/10/22)

Smith would go on down the season to continue to be featured mostly out of the bullpen in shorter stints, simply because of how talented the Tigers' pitching rotation was last spring. In our next viewing of the left-hander two weeks later, Smith came on in relief in Game 1 of a highly-anticipated matchup against 7A No. 1 Auburn, and although he had slight command issues, he continued to show overpowering stuff working his fastball up to 91 mph during his two innings of work.

LHP Jack Smith (3/25/22)

As they continued to roll throughout their season and into the playoffs, the 6A No. 1 Hartselle Tigers would rarely have to turn to their bullpen during their playoff series because of the efforts their starting pitchers would turn in on every given Friday night. The Tigers would go on to sweep every single round of the Class 6A playoffs, including their Class 6A State Finals series where Smith was able to finish up Game 2 and record the final outs to hoist their Blue Map. In our third viewing, it was the best we had seen him all spring, as he only featured his fastball that touched 94 mph while sitting 90-93 mph throughout his outing. In a 10-2 game that had pretty much been decided, Smith had spectators buzzing with every strikeout that he recorded using his overpowering arsenal and showed why he was considered one of the top uncommitted pitchers in the country and a Top-10 prospect in the 2023 class in AL.

LHP Jack Smith (5/20/22)

Fast-forward to the summer playing with Excel Baseball, Smith continued to show elite stuff in a longer viewing competing in the National Program Invitational at LakePoint. Still uncommitted, the southpaw worked around the 88-90 mph range and touched 92 mph with his fastball, and showed good depth at times on his mid-70's breaking ball, as well. He was erratic around the zone at times, but continued to show a quick, clean arm from a higher slot to go along with his sturdy frame.

LHP Jack Smith (6/12/22)

After a strong spring and summer circuit, Jack jumped up to No. 5 in the 2023 class in AL and would eventually go on to pledge his commitment to Arkansas. In addition to his efforts on the diamond, Smith was also the starting quarterback for one of the top football teams in Class 6A in 2022. In his senior season on the gridiron, the left-hander would go on to lead the Tigers to a 12-1 record and Class 6A quarterfinals appearance while throwing for 2,480 yards through the air with 21 TD's and just 5 INT's. There's no doubt, however, that his potential is on the mound and is looking to boost his MLB Draft stock with a strong showing at this Sunday's PBR Super 60 in Chicago, IL.

 

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