Matthew Smoral
| IP | 76 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 7.224 |
| WHIP | 1.987 |
| BB/9 | 9.947 |
| SO/9 | 11.132 |
- Full name Matthew Vincent Smoral
- Born 03/18/1994 in Solon, OH
- Profile Ht.: 6'8" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: L / Throws: L
- School Solon
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Drafted in the C-A round (50th overall) by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2012 (signed for $2,000,000).
View Draft Report
Smoral entered 2012 projected to go in the top half of the first round, and only enhanced his status in his first appearance of the season. In a March scrimmage on Solon High's football field, he worked off a portable mound in front of four dozen scouts. He sat at 90-93 mph with his fastball for three innings, then bumped it up to 94 mph in the fourth. He also showed a plus low-80s slider and command that day. But Smoral would make only one regular-season appearance, during which he was hampered by blisters, before being diagnosed with a broken fourth metatarsal bone in his right foot. He had surgery April 6 and isn't expected to be able to pitch before the July 13 signing deadline. Nevertheless, he still figures to land somewhere in the first round and forego a scholarship from North Carolina. A lanky 6-foot-7, 225-pounder, Smoral throw from a low three-quarters angle that presents difficult angle for hitters. He's still growing into his body and learning how to stay on top of his pitches, but he's athletic enough to eventually figure that out. He'll also have to improve his changeup, a pitch he had little use for against Ohio high school competition.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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As long as Smoral remains lefthanded, he'll be a prospect, but he's lost significant luster since the Blue Jays signed him for $2 million at the 2012 deadline. He's still yet to throw 100 innings as a pro and faltered in his first shot at full-season ball four years since signing. All it takes is one healthy season, though, and none of his injuries have been significant arm injuries. Smoral has lost playing time to a broken right foot, a cracked fingernail and a line drive that hit him in the face this August, just when he was getting back on the mound. He spent part of the season on the disabled list with back pain but also to slow down and work on his delivery. Smoral lost a lot of his positive momentum during a healthy 2014, as he can't repeat his mechanics. He's in excellent shape but is just a fair athlete, so he loses his release point on both his low-90s fastball or plus slider, which reaches 80 mph and still gives him upside. Until he stays healthy, though, Smoral remains the riskiest of prospects. -
Smoral was viewed as one of the top prep lefthanders in the 2012 draft heading into the spring, when he made only one start because of a stress fracture in his right foot. That allowed the Jays to grab him at pick No. 50 and sign him for $2 million. After not pitching in 2012 and being limited to 26 innings in 2013 because of a cracked fingernail, Smoral had his first healthy season in 2014, striking out nearly onethird of batters at Rookie-level Bluefield. His body, fastball and slider give him a foundation to be at least a mid-rotation starter, but the development of his control and changeup will dictate whether he stays in the rotation. His fastball sits at 90-93 mph, touching 95 with above-average life when down. Smoral's slider is a wipeout offering with plus potential and is a weapon against both lefthanders and righthanders. His mid-80s changeup improved in 2014 and flashed average but will need continued development. Smoral has an extra-large frame and lost weight over the 2014 season, gaining athleticism and flexibility while improving his delivery. He'll likely get his first taste of full-season ball at low Class A Lansing in 2015. -
Some scouts viewed Smoral as one of the top prep lefthanders heading into the 2012 draft, but then he registered only one regular season start his senior year because of a stress fracture in his right foot. Doctors posited that a seven-inch growth spurt between his sophomore and junior years contributed to the injury. Uncertainty about his health allowed the Jays to grab Smoral with the 50th overall pick and sign him for $2 million. He did not pitch in 2012 after signing, and was limited to 25 innings last year due to a cracked fingernail. Now 6-foot-8, Smoral uses his extra-large frame and long levers to generate a 91-96 mph fastball with above-average life. His slider has at least plus potential, and his developing changeup has average potential. Smoral has worked on accelerating his arm out of his glove, reducing the length of his arm stroke in the back and getting on top of the ball from a higher slot than in high school. He shed the weight he put on during his injury layoff. If he improves his control, he has front-half-of-the-rotation potential, but that's a rare profile, as only one 6-foot-8 or taller prep lefthander has started a major league game (Sean West, 22). So Smoral, who will likely begin 2014 with another short-season assignment, could profile as a dynamic late-game reliever. -
Entering his high school senior season in 2012, Smoral was in the running to be the top prep lefthander in the draft. He carried over a strong performance on the high school showcase circuit into his first scrimmage of the spring, when he dominated in front of 50 scouts. In his first regular-season start, however, he struggled to throw strikes and left the game early with blisters. It would be his last time on the mound for Solon High, as doctors found he had a broken bone in his right foot. He had surgery in early April and wasn't able to pitch before the signing deadline, but the Blue Jays still took him 50th overall and signed him away from a North Carolina commitment for $2 million. When healthy, Smoral fires a 92-96 mph fastball from a low three-quarters arm slot that creates a tough angle for hitters. His slider is a plus pitch that sits in the low 80s. Like most high school pitchers, he needs to develop a changeup. He's tall and lanky, so he's still growing into his body and learning to repeat his pitches, but he has the athleticism to figure it out. A potential frontline starter, Smoral returned to the mound in instructional league. He'll head to extended spring training and make his professional debut at one of the Jays' short-season stops in June.
Draft Prospects
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Smoral entered 2012 projected to go in the top half of the first round, and only enhanced his status in his first appearance of the season. In a March scrimmage on Solon High's football field, he worked off a portable mound in front of four dozen scouts. He sat at 90-93 mph with his fastball for three innings, then bumped it up to 94 mph in the fourth. He also showed a plus low-80s slider and command that day. But Smoral would make only one regular-season appearance, during which he was hampered by blisters, before being diagnosed with a broken fourth metatarsal bone in his right foot. He had surgery April 6 and isn't expected to be able to pitch before the July 13 signing deadline. Nevertheless, he still figures to land somewhere in the first round and forego a scholarship from North Carolina. A lanky 6-foot-7, 225-pounder, Smoral throw from a low three-quarters angle that presents difficult angle for hitters. He's still growing into his body and learning how to stay on top of his pitches, but he's athletic enough to eventually figure that out. He'll also have to improve his changeup, a pitch he had little use for against Ohio high school competition.
Minor League Top Prospects
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One of the top lefthanders for the 2012 draft, Smoral was injured that spring but still commanded $2 million as a Blue Jays sandwich pick. A series of injuries and a lack of strike-throwing ability limited him to 26 innings entering this season, when he logged the most innings of his pro career (54). Smoral has the potential to pitch in the front half of a rotation but will need to improve his control and changeup to reach his upside. The 6-foot-8, 220-pound southpaw has an extra-large frame and improved his athleticism and flexibility when he lost weight over the last year. His fastball sat 89-93 mph and touched 95 with above-average life when down in the zone. His slider was one of the best breaking balls in the Appy League and has at least plus potential, as he varies the shape of the offering. Smoral used his changeup sparingly early in the season but began to integrate the offering into game action more towards the end of the season, playing as below-average while flashing average at its best. His swing-and-miss stuff produced the highest strikeout rate in the league (13.6 per nine innings), though his control remains below-average (4.8 walks per nine). He made significant improvements with his delivery this season, smoothing his arm action that is looser and quicker while getting better extension from a longer stride and working over the ball more consistently. If his control does not improve, Smoral will likely fit in the back of a bullpen.
