Cade Smith

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #26 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Smith pitched for the Canadian Junior National Team during high school and was drafted in the 16th round by the Twins in 2018 but opted to attend Hawaii instead of signing. After three years in college, Smith signed with Cleveland as an undrafted free agent after the 2020 draft was shortened to five rounds. He pitched well in three seasons as a professional and in November was added to the 40-man roster.
  
  Scouting Report: Smith has a big, powerful build and a fastball to match. He relies heavily on the pitch, which averages about 95 mph and gets a lot of swings and misses, both in and out of the zone. The pitch plays up further thanks to the excellent extension he gets in his delivery. His slider is his best secondary offering. It’s more of a fringy offering that doesn’t miss nearly as many bats, but it’s enough to keep batters honest. He also mixes in an occasional below-average changeup and pitches with average control.
  
  The Future: Smith spent much of 2023 at Triple-A and is now on the 40-man roster, which puts him firmly in contention for a spot in the Guardians’ bullpen sooner than later. He’ll need to continue refining his slider to become a high-leverage weapon in the big leagues, but he looks to be at least a solid relief option.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 65 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 50