There are many factors that determine if and when you make the Major Leagues as a ballplayer. Everyone who is drafted has the potential talent without question. When an organization selects someone in the draft they picture him in the big league uniform within a handful of years. Timing varies, surprises happen, and injuries occur along the way that can slow down or speed up the arrival of entering a clubhouse during the regular season.
Top notch performance is a must in the minor leagues, but early round draft choices don’t usually face the same pressure that later round draft choices face because the organization has a lot more invested in them. Dylan Smith of the San Francisco Giants was a high draft choice and performed but that doesn’t always mean you fit in the plans of the big league team that drafted you.
Smith was selected in the 18th round out of Stafford (Texas) high school in the 2018 draft by the San Diego Padres.
“When I got the call, I was very surprised when I heard my name called” he shared his emotion with a local Texas TV station about that special day. He and his mother Felecia weighed the options of going to college or playing professional baseball as an 18-year-old.
“It was an honor that my dream school came for me and they wanted me” Smith said about his choice to play for and enroll at the University of Alabama. While his numbers weren’t dominant as a collegian over his three seasons, he did catch the eye of the Detroit Tigers. It truly paid off as he was now a third-round selection and earned a seven-figure signing bonus.
He had a good 2022 rookie season with an 8-6 record and a 3.77 Earned Run Average over two levels of single A baseball. All pitchers face challenges on their path to the Major Leagues as they have to adjust to hitters becoming more selective and disciplined. A lofty E.R.A in High A and Double A for Smith resulted in him becoming a reliever at this point of his career rather than being a primary starter.
The adjustment continued to allow him to strikeout more than one batter per inning which is what the Tigers were looking for when he was promoted to the Major Leagues for the first time. June 2, 2025, Smith was able to get the White Sox to ground into a pair of double plays in as many innings to help make his debut game successful.
Dylan Smith Has Been “The Shuttle” Master
“The Shuttle” is a frequently used term for a player who consistently goes back and forth between the Major League team and its Triple A affiliate. Smith has been on that ride ever since he made his Major League debut. He finished last season with a 1-0 record and an E.R.A of 1.38 for the Tigers despite his constant movement. He was traded just after spring training ended this season to the San Francisco Giants organization and again finds himself on the shuttle.
The righthander was recalled for the second time this season from Triple A Sacramento most recently on June 3 when one their relievers was placed on the injured list. Smith has responded by not allowing an earned run in any of his three appearances this season. He notched his first save of his career by pitching the 10th inning of a 2-1 Giants win on Sunday June 7. Lifetime he has a 1-0 record with an E.R.A of 1.15. This shows how tough it is to stay on a big league roster. He has done everything asked of him by not one organization but two. Good enough to get there but sometimes not looked at as good enough to stay there.
Hopefully Smith will get more opportunities to show his skills in the Major Leagues. The 26-year-old has made some good moves in his young life so far. He not only used the three years at the University of Alabama to increase his draft value, but he also earned his Bachelor’s degree.
