Cincinnati Reds selects Clemson pitcher Tristan Smith in 2024 MLB Draft

Clemson pitcher Tristan Smith is off the board in the 2024 MLB Draft. Smith has been selected by the Cincinnati Reds with the No. 150 overall pick. He was taken in the fifth round.

Smith was drafted after spending the previous two seasons at Clemson. He helped the Tigers earn a national seed and a spot in the super regionals in 2024.

Try Fubo for FREE today and don’t miss any of the action!

Prior to signing with Clemson, Smith attended Boiling Springs High School. He was one of the top high school players in the country for his class and was viewed as the No. 6 left-handed pitcher and No. 24 overall player in the country by Perfect Game.

As a freshman in 2023, Tristan Smith contributed in a variety of different roles. He finished the year 0-1 with a 4.55 ERA. Smith appeared in 24 games in total, making six starts. He struck out 43 batters in 31 2/3 innings pitched and earned four saves.

In 2024, Smith had an even better year, finishing 2-1 with a 4.47 ERA. He missed some time with an injury but made 12 starts, recording 66 strikeouts in 50 1/3 innings pitched.

Smith and the Tigers finished the year with a 44-16 record. Head coach Erik Bakich said at the conclusion of the season that he was prepared to lose his sophomore pitcher to the MLB Draft. Bakich was asked what Clemson would be looking for in the transfer portal.

“Pitching, you can never have enough pitching,” he said. “And that’s the one part where, assuming Tristan Smith signs and Austin Gordon signs, that’s a premium weekend starter and premium closer. We’ll develop our current roster. We’ll let the guys that we have develop. But you can never have enough good pitching.”

What MLB Draft experts are saying about Tristan Smith

Ahead of the MLB Draft, MLB.com released its scouting report on Tristan Smith. The website had this to say about the lefty pitcher:

“Smith generated some first-round buzz as a South Carolina high schooler in 2022, but his price tag and reliever risk left him undrafted and he headed to Clemson. He battled the strike zone as a freshman last spring before impressing as much as any left-hander in the Cape Cod League during the summer. He showed improved velocity and better control of his secondary pitches this year before injuring his ankle in mid-March and missing a month.

“Smith’s fastball sits at 91-94 mph and tops out at 96, just like it did in high school, and he’ll ride it up or sink it down in the zone. He throws the most strikes and misses the most bats with a sweeping low-80s slider that features high spin rates. He has a solid low-80s changeup that sinks and enough faith to use it against both lefties and righties.

“His ceiling may not be quite as high as once projected, but he still could become a mid-rotation option if he finds the plate more often.”