Caleb Smith

WTM’s PLAYER PROFILE

2013
A-:  1-2-0, 1.89 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 47.2 IP, 2.8 BB/9, 9.8 K/9
AA:  0-0-0, 2.45 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 3.2 IP, 2.5 BB/9, 12.3 K/9

Smith started off well in short season ball, with impressive walk and K rates.

2014
A:  5-7-0, 3.10 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 78.1 IP, 4.0 BB/9, 9.2 K/9
A+:  5-2-0, 4.81 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 39.1 IP, 2.5 BB/9, 8.2 K/9

The Yankees moved Smith up to low A for the first two-thirds of the season, then high A for the rest.  He pitched well at both levels, with the high ERA at the higher level mostly the result of a low strand rate.

2015
AA:  10-7-0, 3.38 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 130.2 IP, 3.5 BB/9, 6.3 K/9
AAA:  0-0-0, 6.23 ERA, 2.31 WHIP, 4.1 IP, 10.4 BB/9, 8.3 K/9

The Yankees sent Smith to AA for most of the season.  He remained effective, despite a much lower K rate.

2016
AA:  3-5-3, 3.96 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 63.2 IP, 2.8 BB/9, 9.9 K/9

The Yankees sent Smith back to AA and moved him mostly to relief.  Pitching in relief boosted his velocity from the upper-80s to 91-93 mph.  After the season, Milwaukee selected Smith in the Rule 5 draft and immediately traded him to the Cubs.  Baseball America ranked him the #31 prospect in the Cubs’ system.

2017
AA:  0-0-0, 3.38 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 2.2 IP, 10.1 BB/9, 16.9 K/9
AAA:  9-1-0, 2.39 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 98.0 IP, 2.6 BB/9, 8.9 K/9
MLB:  0-1-0, 7.71 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 18.2 IP, 4.8 BB/9, 8.7 K/9

Smith didn’t make the Cubs out of spring training and was returned to the Yankees.  He spent most of the season starting in AAA and had a big year.  New York called him up in July and he made his major league debut.  After the season, the Yankees traded Smith to Miami.

2018
MLB:  5-6-0, 4.19 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 77.1 IP, 3.8 BB/9, 10.2 K/9

Smith made the Marlins’ staff out of spring training and started 16 games for them.  He missed the second half of the season, though, with a strained left shoulder that required surgery.  When he pitched, his numbers were good except for slightly high walk and home run rates.

2019
AA:  0-0-0, 5.79 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 9.1 IP, 1.9 BB/9, 18.3 K/9
MLB:  10-11-0, 4.52 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 153.1 IP, 3.5 BB/9, 9.9 K/9

Smith made 28 starts for Miami, although he missed June with hip inflammation.  He again didn’t give up a lot of hits and had just a slightly high walk rate, but he had major gopher ball problems, allowing 33.

2020
MLB (Mia):  0-0-0, 3.00 ERA, 2.33 WHIP, 3.0 IP, 18.0 BB/9, 9.0 K/9
MLB (Ari):  0-0-0, 2.45 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 11.0 IP, 4.9 BB/9, 9.8 K/9

In the pandemic season, Smith made one, three-inning start for Miami.  Then he  missed five weeks, starting in early August, due to COVID-19.  During that time, the Marlins traded him to Arizona as part of a deal for Starling Marte.  Smith pitched only briefly for the Diamondbacks.

2021
MLB:  4-9-0, 4.83 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 113.2 IP, 5.0 BB/9, 9.8 K/9

Smith served in a swing role for Arizona, making 13 starts and 32 relief appearances.  He also was suspended for a month, starting in late August, for violating MLB’s policy on foreign substances.  He had a good K rate, but walked a lot of hitters and allowed 20 home runs.

2022
R:  0-1-0, 3.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 3.0 IP, 3.0 BB/9, 9.0 K/9
AAA:  1-0-0, 0.93 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 9.2 IP, 0.9 BB/9, 7.4 K/9
MLB:  1-3-0, 4.11 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 70.0 IP, 5.0 BB/9, 8.4 K/9

Smith spent most of the season with Arizona, pitching in relief in his 44 games except for one start.  He missed most of August with a fractured right hand.  Walks and homers continued to be problems, with Smith allowing 14 of the latter.  At the end of the season, he tore a ligament in his left elbow at the end of the season, but he rehabbed it without requiring surgery.  Arizona released him anyway.

Smith doesn’t appear suited to a late-inning relief role.  He’d be more likely to help as a middle relief depth or, in an extreme case, as a starter.