Smith and Vasil look like two Rule 5 hits for the rebuilding Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox catcher Kyle Teel, left, talks with starting pitcher Mike Vasil during the second inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Chicago, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Mike Vasil throws against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning of a baseball game in Chicago, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Shane Smith (64) throws against the Detroit Tigers during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Mike Vasil throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Shane Smith throws against the Houston Astros during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Shane Smith throws against the Houston Astros during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Chicago White Sox catcher Kyle Teel, left, talks with starting pitcher Mike Vasil during the second inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Chicago, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Mike Vasil throws against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning of a baseball game in Chicago, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Shane Smith (64) throws against the Detroit Tigers during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Mike Vasil throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Shane Smith throws against the Houston Astros during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
CHICAGO (AP) — Shane Smith pitched a total of 10 1/3 innings during his college career at Wake Forest. He had a shoulder operation as a freshman, and his sophomore year was shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic. Then he had elbow surgery.
At that point, even Smith began to wonder if baseball was going to work out for him.
Advertisement
'My dream of playing professional baseball, to say it didn't waver would probably be lying,' he said. 'But I knew there was an avenue somehow.'
There sure was.
Smith has turned into a pleasant surprise for the last-place Chicago White Sox after he was selected by the team in the Rule 5 draft. The White Sox also have Mike Vasil, another 25-year-old Rule 5 right-hander who was claimed off waivers from Tampa Bay in March.
The Rule 5 draft provides an opportunity for players left off big league team's 40-man rosters after several minor league seasons. Teams pay $100,000 to select a player in the major league portion. The players must stay on the active 26-man major league roster all season or else clear waivers and be offered back to their original organization for $50,000.
Advertisement
Between 10 and 20 players are selected in the big league Rule 5 draft most seasons, but most don't actually stick with their new clubs. Even fewer develop into All-Star-worthy contributors. Hall of Fame outfielder Roberto Clemente and two-time Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana are two of the most famous Rule 5 success stories.
So far, it looks as if Smith and Vasil are going to stick with the rebuilding White Sox — quite an accomplishment for an organization from one Rule 5 draft. Smith has a 2.37 ERA in 68 1/3 innings over 13 starts, and Vasil has a 1.99 ERA in 45 1/3 innings over 20 appearances, all but two in relief.
'Obviously Mike and I are, I think, putting our best foot forward as of now,' Smith said. 'The biggest thing we can do is just keep it going, keep doing the same stuff.'
Smith or Vasil very well could represent the last-place White Sox at next month's All-Star Game in Atlanta. Dan Uggla with the Florida Marlins in 2006 is the only player to be named an All-Star in the season after he was selected in the Rule 5 draft, according to Sportradar.
Advertisement
Being a Rule 5 player is a unique situation in that first year, but Vasil said he doesn't think about it very often.
'I've spent my whole life trying to get here,' he said. 'So I think it's already hard enough, don't put more pressure on yourself.'
The 6-foot-5 Vasil was selected by the New York Mets in the eighth round of the 2021 amateur draft out of the University of Virginia. He was picked by Philadelphia in the Rule 5 draft in December and then traded that same day to the Rays for cash.
The White Sox are Vasil's fourth organization since the end of last season.
'It's a lot,' he said. 'But I think for me, at the same time, I guess you could say you feel wanted by a lot of different teams.'
Advertisement
Vasil began the season in Chicago's bullpen, recording a 1.89 ERA in his first 18 appearances. He got his first career win when he pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings against Houston on May 4 and his first save when he got three outs at Cincinnati on May 14.
But Vasil's six-pitch arsenal — highlighted by an effective sinker and sweeper — makes him a strong candidate for the rotation. He pitched four shutout innings in his second start at Texas on Saturday.
'Not something that's unfamiliar for me,' he said of starting. 'I started all my minor league career, so in terms of routine I probably know this one a little bit better than my relief one right now.'
Smith went right into Chicago's rotation during spring training — an unusual spot for a Rule 5 player. Since 2016, Luis Perdomo, Brad Keller and Mitch Spence are the only pitchers who made at least 20 starts in the majors in the season after they were selected in the big league phase of the Rule 5 draft.
Advertisement
Keller began the 2018 season in Kansas City's bullpen before moving into the rotation in late May. He finished his rookie year with a 9-6 record and a 3.08 ERA in 20 starts and 21 relief appearances.
'I think you definitely pull for all the Rule 5 guys because I feel like, not to say this in a bad way, but Rule 5 guys kind of get a bad rap, right?" said Keller, a key reliever for the Chicago Cubs. "It's like they're like nobody's got a chance. That's not true. Some organizations are in different situations where they can't protect guys that they want to.'
Smith had been in Milwaukee's organization since he signed with the Brewers as an undrafted free agent in 2021, just weeks after he had Tommy John surgery. He had a 3.05 ERA in 32 appearances over two minor league stops last season, finishing the year with Triple-A Nashville.
Smith has a big four-seam fastball that gets into the high 90s, to go along with a good slider and curveball. But the biggest key to his success this year has been the development of a nasty changeup that really came together in the offseason after years of work.
Advertisement
Fortunate timing for Smith and the White Sox.
'For a guy that hasn't really pitched above Double-A, he had some innings in Triple-A, but to come here and pitch the way that he does, it just speaks to his ability and his confidence and also speaks to the group of players and staff here to support him,' general manager Chris Getz said. "Shane is doing really well and we expect him to have a really productive, healthy season for us.'
___
More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/MLB
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
26 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Astros' Lance McCullers Jr. sidelined with sprained foot, rookie Ryan Gusto to start
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The Houston Astros placed right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. on the 15-day injured list with a sprained right foot Monday before his scheduled start against the Athletics. The move, which is retroactive to Friday, comes after McCullers made seven starts this year in his return after missing two full seasons with various arm injuries. Rookie right-hander Ryan Gusto will start in his place Monday as the AL West-leading Astros open a four-game series against the Athletics. McCullers is 1-2 with a 4.91 ERA this season. He allowed four hits and four runs while striking out six in five innings of a 4-2 loss to the White Sox in his last start on Tuesday. The injury to McCullers is the latest in a string of injuries to the Astros rotation. Houston starters Hayden Wesneski and Ronel Blanco are both out for the season after having Tommy John surgery and right-hander Spencer Arrighetti has been sidelined since April after breaking his right thumb in a batting practice mishap. They also are missing right-handers Luis Garcia and Cristian Javier, who are both still recovering from Tommy John surgery. ___
San Francisco Chronicle
26 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
US hockey announces initial 6 players for 2026 Milan Olympics
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The U.S. named Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, Quinn Hughes and Charlie McAvoy as its first six players for the 2026 Olympics, avoiding goaltenders on the initial roster unveiled Monday. Some assortment of Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger, Jeremy Swayman and Thatcher Demko figure to make the team when full rosters are submitted in early January. 'Our goalies played well for us, great seasons: Connor just got the Vezina and Hart, which is incredible,' U.S. general manager Bill Guerin said on a video call with reporters. 'It was just kind of the thing we talked that about before we did it for 4 Nations: do we add a goalie, do we not add a goalie? I felt it was best we stay consistent and just let the goalies play it out during the season.' All 12 teams that qualified — with France replacing Russia because of the International Olympic Committee's ban on that country for team sports because of the war in Ukraine — announced the start of their groups set to take part in Milan. This tournament marks the return of NHL participation and what should be the first Olympics for Canada's Connor McDavid and many other top players who have not yet gotten that opportunity. 'Incredibly honored to represent my country at the biggest sporting event in the world,' McDavid said after he and the Edmonton Oilers practiced during the Stanley Cup Final. 'You think of the Canadian players that can be named to that team and to be selected again, it means a lot.' McDavid would have been there had the NHL not pulled out of the 2022 Beijing Games because of pandemic-related scheduling issues. Along with McDavid, Canada picked Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Brayden Point and Sam Reinhart, the latter of whom is also in the final with the defending champion Florida Panthers. 'When you're growing up when you're watching as a kid, it's Stanley Cup finals and it's Team Canada,' Reinhart said. "Those are the two things that you dream about playing for. To have that opportunity is pretty exciting.' Three other Panthers players — Aleksander Barkov for Finland, Nico Sturm for Germany and Uvis Balinskis for Latvia — are penciled in for Milan. Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl headlines the list for Germany, which reached the final in 2018 when the NHL skipped the Olympics. 'There's not a lot of elite centermen in the league: I think Leon is in that category, Sasha (Barkov is) in that category,' Sturm said. 'Big left-handed centermen that you can model your game after. He's definitely somebody that I look up to a lot and try to learn from.' Obviously much can change over the next eight months, from injuries to performance, and this process with the IOC and International Ice Hockey Federation follows what the U.S., Canada, Sweden and Finland did in naming six initial players last summer for the 4 Nations Face-Off that was a massive success in February. 'I understand it from a marketing perspective to get things up and running,' Canada GM Doug Armstrong said. 'We probably had a wide berth of players we could have named, but it is what it is. I think it's consistent with the 4 Nations and the event before, so we're OK doing. As I said to someone: 'I think the easy part's behind us, these six. Now it gets interesting as we fill out that roster.'' Sweden chose forwards Gabriel Landeskog, Lucas Raymond, William Nylander and Adrian Kempe and defensemen Victor Hedman and Rasmus Dahlin. Finland picked Barkov, fellow skaters Mikko Rantanen, Sebastian Aho, Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell and goaltender Juuse Saros. This is Barkov's second Olympics after being in Sochi in 2014. That was as a young, part-time player. 'That was my dream as a kid to be there, and I got to experience that for a little bit for two games,' Barkov said. "Now, to be named again is a huge honor. I'm really, really happy and honored and thankful for that opportunity.' Much of the reaction to the roster release on social media had to do with Russia not taking part. That means all-time leading goal-scorer Alex Ovechkin, MVP finalist Nikita Kucherov and two time Cup-winning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy will not get the chance to go to Milan. 'It's disappointing that they're not in this event, but it's certainly nothing that the participants in the event can control,' Armstrong said. 'You have to play the teams that are on your schedule, and unfortunately this time around the Russians won't be there.'
Hamilton Spectator
29 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
US hockey announces initial 6 players for 2026 Milan Olympics
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The U.S. named Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, Quinn Hughes and Charlie McAvoy as its first six players for the 2026 Olympics, avoiding goaltenders on the initial roster unveiled Monday. Some assortment of Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger, Jeremy Swayman and Thatcher Demko figure to make the team when full rosters are submitted in early January. 'Our goalies played well for us, great seasons: Connor just got the Vezina and Hart , which is incredible,' U.S. general manager Bill Guerin said on a video call with reporters. 'It was just kind of the thing we talked that about before we did it for 4 Nations: do we add a goalie, do we not add a goalie? I felt it was best we stay consistent and just let the goalies play it out during the season.' All 12 teams that qualified — with France replacing Russia because of the International Olympic Committee's ban on that country for team sports because of the war in Ukraine — announced the start of their groups set to take part in Milan. This tournament marks the return of NHL participation and what should be the first Olympics for Canada's Connor McDavid and many other top players who have not yet gotten that opportunity. 'Incredibly honored to represent my country at the biggest sporting event in the world,' McDavid said after he and the Edmonton Oilers practiced during the Stanley Cup Final. 'You think of the Canadian players that can be named to that team and to be selected again, it means a lot.' McDavid would have been there had the NHL not pulled out of the 2022 Beijing Games because of pandemic-related scheduling issues. Along with McDavid, Canada picked Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Brayden Point and Sam Reinhart, the latter of whom is also in the final with the defending champion Florida Panthers. 'When you're growing up when you're watching as a kid, it's Stanley Cup finals and it's Team Canada,' Reinhart said. 'Those are the two things that you dream about playing for. To have that opportunity is pretty exciting.' Three other Panthers players — Aleksander Barkov for Finland, Nico Sturm for Germany and Uvis Balinskis for Latvia — are penciled in for Milan. Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl headlines the list for Germany, which reached the final in 2018 when the NHL skipped the Olympics. 'There's not a lot of elite centermen in the league: I think Leon is in that category, Sasha (Barkov is) in that category,' Sturm said. 'Big left-handed centermen that you can model your game after. He's definitely somebody that I look up to a lot and try to learn from.' Obviously much can change over the next eight months, from injuries to performance, and this process with the IOC and International Ice Hockey Federation follows what the U.S., Canada, Sweden and Finland did in naming six initial players last summer for the 4 Nations Face-Off that was a massive success in February. 'I understand it from a marketing perspective to get things up and running,' Canada GM Doug Armstrong said. 'We probably had a wide berth of players we could have named, but it is what it is. I think it's consistent with the 4 Nations and the event before, so we're OK doing. As I said to someone: 'I think the easy part's behind us, these six. Now it gets interesting as we fill out that roster.'' Sweden chose forwards Gabriel Landeskog, Lucas Raymond, William Nylander and Adrian Kempe and defensemen Victor Hedman and Rasmus Dahlin. Finland picked Barkov, fellow skaters Mikko Rantanen, Sebastian Aho, Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell and goaltender Juuse Saros. This is Barkov's second Olympics after being in Sochi in 2014. That was as a young, part-time player. 'That was my dream as a kid to be there, and I got to experience that for a little bit for two games,' Barkov said. 'Now, to be named again is a huge honor. I'm really, really happy and honored and thankful for that opportunity.' Much of the reaction to the roster release on social media had to do with Russia not taking part. That means all-time leading goal-scorer Alex Ovechkin, MVP finalist Nikita Kucherov and two time Cup-winning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy will not get the chance to go to Milan. 'It's disappointing that they're not in this event, but it's certainly nothing that the participants in the event can control,' Armstrong said. 'You have to play the teams that are on your schedule, and unfortunately this time around the Russians won't be there.' ___ AP NHL:
