White Sox SP Shane Smith on his journey from Rule 5 pick to All-Star, Plans for offseason and 2026

00:00:01
Speaker 1: Shane Smith, right hander for the Chicago White Sox, made his April Era his debut rather on April first. April Fool's Day wasn't a joke, though, Good to have you with us on the show. Not only did he make his debut on April first, he was the second player in Major League Baseball history to make the All Star Team in the year following his rule five selections. Shane, welcome to the show. Tell me about the All Star year. What was the best part of it for you and how do you improve upon that next season?

00:00:29
Speaker 2: Yeah, hey, guys, thanks for having me. Yeah, this year was full of you know, a lot of new for me. And you know, the first, you know, a couple of starts, you're bewildered and just trying to do your best. Then you start to learn, like you know, you're talking to guys learning out you know, what could I do here? What could I do there? And then you know, you're just trying to grow. You're just trying to be you know, soak up as much information as possible. And I think that goes into the off season of you know, what.

00:00:58
Speaker 3: Did I struggle with this year? What did I do well with?

00:01:00
Speaker 2: And you know, try and keep it simple as possible, but also you make sure you're making strides that prepare you for the next year. Hey, before we get into your year in the White Sox and everything, I got to start back from when you're in high school, you went to some place called the Governor's Academy, a boarding school.

00:01:20
Speaker 4: Can you explain what the heck that is? Because that sounds like some fancy schmancy place Alano would go like she was an he I mean some of us went to public high school, you know, and then some of you, you other people, the richer people from up north in the Northeast, we go to the Governor's Academy. What the heck is that?

00:01:39
Speaker 3: Yeah, so I would not put myself in the richie rich category.

00:01:44
Speaker 4: But I mean I didn't go to boarding school. I don't know to boarding school.

00:01:48
Speaker 3: They got financial ad for a reason.

00:01:50
Speaker 2: Oh, but uh, it's it's so basically you can be a day student or you can live there. I lived about thirty minutes from the school, and it's a preparatory school for college, so I moved in there at fourteen my freshman year. There's about four hundred and fifty kids in the school total, so the grades are pretty small, and I lived with you know, eighteen freshmen in my dorm, and uh then your sophomore year, junior and senior year you live in like a bigger you know, it's not college or still. You know, the faculty kind of live within you, and it's a you know, it's a pretty tight knit community. But I yeah, I enjoyed my time, and I know it's a it's a foreign concept to pretty much everybody outside of the Northeast.

00:02:34
Speaker 4: Yeah, what was that movie? What was the movie where they had like that, did you have the Secret Society and the Poet Society? Yeah, dead pot. But then there was the other one's Skulls where they had like the secret Society where they had to know the past code and then they did all these crazy things that they.

00:02:49
Speaker 3: Like, that's Yale. That's Yale. That's a sorry, we're not there.

00:02:56
Speaker 4: No, okay, all right, all right, that's fair. That's fair.

00:02:59
Speaker 5: Okay of Pepper High School down in down in Orlando, doctor Pepper High School.

00:03:04
Speaker 4: The record, I.

00:03:05
Speaker 1: Went to public school. I went to public school, okay, and I went to a public university. So stop at aj.

00:03:12
Speaker 4: All right, now, Shane, how does somebody from the governor the Gobnor School, Gobnor, I parlay, I parlay end up at wake Forest. How do you end up like? Does Does Tom Walters go up there and just look for people from the Northeast and bring him down because he has a lot of the Northeast connections.

00:03:28
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think I think he looks for the Northeast.

00:03:31
Speaker 2: I think he looks for the type of player that you know, when you're not playing baseball year round and you're you know, playing multiple sports, and you know, when you get into baseball season, that's your passion. They started recruiting me my sophomore year roughly, and I committed later that summer. But they had some family connections with Tom Walter and and and he gave us a look at the school and I fell in love with it pretty quickly. It's a smaller private scheating. It's the smallest Power five or Power four now, so it was similar to my high school. But you know, everything else stood up. You know, their facilities are incredible campus, isn't those?

00:04:07
Speaker 4: I love those private you know, small, I mean, gosh, it must be nice. Anyways, continue man.

00:04:13
Speaker 1: He's never going to come back on the show.

00:04:15
Speaker 4: We see him alone. I love it. I'm jealous. I wish that I would have had that growing up. Instead, I had to go to Doctor Phillips High School, Like I'm sorry.

00:04:24
Speaker 3: So yeah, I mean I was.

00:04:25
Speaker 2: I was in the minority in every place I went, so you know, I was okay with that.

00:04:32
Speaker 3: But yeah, I ended up Awake and absolutely loved it.

00:04:35
Speaker 2: My college career wasn't what I was expecting, just with injuries and COVID and all that. But you know, nothing but good things to say about Tom Walter and his staff there.

00:04:46
Speaker 1: And you played with Ret Louder, but you missed Nick Kurtz by a year. Tell me what you've seen from those two guys obviously out of wake Forest that impresses you the most about why they can be so successful at the big league level, like yourself.

00:04:59
Speaker 3: Yeah, Rhett.

00:05:00
Speaker 2: Rhett took the Sunday job after I blew out, after I had TJ and and he stepped in it as a freshman and you know, really commanded from an early early time on from there, and he grew a ton, started throwing you know, more strikes and throwing a little bit harder. But he had it, you know, pretty damn close when he when he showed up, so I hope he's you know, getting healthier and feeling better and and and ready to go next year because he's gonna do well.

00:05:26
Speaker 3: And and Kurtz is just ridiculous.

00:05:29
Speaker 2: I remember hearing stories and seeing a big left handed bat in Winston and uh, they.

00:05:34
Speaker 3: Huld do really well.

00:05:35
Speaker 2: And then and he just absolutely killed it when he came up. So super happy for him. I talked to him a little bit when we went to Sacramento and you know, so keep it up. Wished him luck and uh, you know, maybe we'll catch up soon. But yeah, super happy for those guys.

00:05:49
Speaker 5: Do you know what today is, Shane? Do you know what is happening in baseball today?

00:05:57
Speaker 3: Forty man roster's got to be set today? Real five? Is the rule five today? No way?

00:06:01
Speaker 4: So the rule five so kind of ironical in the winter meetings Real five?

00:06:08
Speaker 5: No, no, no. But the guys who the guys who know they're going to be available for the rule five, So it's kind of ironic, you prob do you remember this day? Obviously it's not this exact day last year when the Brewers were like, nah, we're not going to protect you.

00:06:25
Speaker 2: I I didn't really know it was my rule five year until probably two or three days before the draft. So when I wasn't protected, I didn't really think anything of it. And then uh, once you know, I got some phone calls pretty much right before the Rule five and they said, hey, you're you're eligible, and then it's kind of like, oh, crap, you know this is you know, this is something that could happen, which is which was wild Okay.

00:06:51
Speaker 5: So so it wasn't like it wasn't a knock to your ego because I remember being in the minor leagues and like guys were like, oh, yeah, this is his protection year. There's definitely you know, it's kind of a plan form year type of thing. So you didn't really think about that until you got phone calls and then did you even know what the Rule five draft was?

00:07:11
Speaker 3: I knew.

00:07:12
Speaker 2: I knew it gave me a better opportunity than you know, sitting in double air triple at the next year with Milwaukee, I thought, you get added to the forty men, and then you kind of just you know, you're a big league spring training and then maybe you make the team, but you're on the forty man. And then I learned that if all things go well, you're in the big leagues and uh, you know, give you your best shot. But yeah, when I was told that it was twenty six and uh, you know spring training is my shot, then it's kind of like, Okay, you know, it's the opportunity I've always wanted and now it's time to run with it.

00:07:44
Speaker 5: Did you believe that you were actually going to get an opportunity when you went to the White Sox because we talked I think we talked to you in spring training and like rule five, guys, they get told one thing, but the reality is it's like, hey, you know, we just love to have you in the organization. This first year is a whatever thing. Did you truly believe when they told you that you made the team that you're like, I'm gonna be here the whole year. I'm going to be an All Star.

00:08:13
Speaker 2: I I think I'd do a disservice to myself if I didn't think that I could do everything that I wanted to do.

00:08:21
Speaker 3: And no arrogance or cockiness.

00:08:23
Speaker 2: I think when I get that opportunity, it was okay, am I good enough to be here? And then I think I showed myself and others that I'm good enough to be here. And then it was kind of like, Okay, now it's you know, now it's time to go the novelty of like, hey, we just made the team and you know, congratulations, like that's that's incredible, and I you know, I cried that day with my family. But once you kind of get over that first debut and second second outing and third outing, now it's like, okay, let's you know, let's do this.

00:08:50
Speaker 3: Let's let's make this work. Shane.

00:08:54
Speaker 4: You make the team first of all rule five and by the way, I'm glad you did because you had a really nature. Then you make the All Star Team, and I want to thank you. You didn't big league me on the red carpet. You came over and said hi, So thank you. Thank you for doing that. When I saw you in the red carbet and know you're with your family and everybody, so thank you for not big league in me. I appreciate that. What was it like when you figured out the call you made the All Star Team? Because forget like Rule five awesome, made the team awesome, But then you made it to the highest level, which is then the All Star Game? So what was that call?

00:09:23
Speaker 2: Like? It was a it was a whirlwind I really didn't think that I was going to get the nod there.

00:09:31
Speaker 3: I think I put together a pretty.

00:09:32
Speaker 2: Strong, you know, ten twelve starts, and then you know, the league adjusted to me and I had I had a few you know, five six tough starts, and that was kind of around that time and Venable came into the the Colorado Rockies locker room I had to start actually later that day, and you know, he's going through it, and you know, White Sox rookie pitcher, and I was like, okay, you know, it's got to be me here and overcome with emotion, you know, try to say thank you to the staff and my teammates around me, because you know, that's how you get through those tough days, right, Like your teammates are guys who can bounce ideas off of and and you know, hey.

00:10:16
Speaker 3: I'm struggling here. What do you got? You know? And and I think that's.

00:10:20
Speaker 2: A huge testament to the guys in this clubhouse that you know, boost me up and that I can succeed. So and then once you get to Atlanta, it's two days of craziness and you know, trying to say hell load everybody and pick people's brains and see what you can get. Super thankful my family was there, and you know, definitely something we'll we'll think about forever.

00:10:42
Speaker 1: Shane, you had more starts under your belt than Jacob Izarowski did, but he made the All Star team, and a lot of folks were saying, how can this kid who has, you know, five minutes in the big leagues take a spot. What a lot of people didn't know is a lot of pitchers ahead of him didn't want to go or elected not to go. Their team wouldn't let him pitch, but he was still very deserving on the amount of starts that he had at the time. How did you deal with that firestorm of him just your reaction to it, because you kind of were in a similar situation, even though you had been up longer and had more starts. What was that What was your reaction to that whole situation for him?

00:11:16
Speaker 3: I mean, I played with miz for two years, so I knew him pretty well.

00:11:22
Speaker 2: I think in that situation where you know you have the top prospect who's doing really well and is you know, electrifying to watch, I think that's good for the game, I think. And also when you have you know, I think it was like twelve or thirteen guys that say no to going out there. I think at that point, you know, what do you do for that that's best for the game. And I think miz was was in that category of let's get someone really exciting who's done well in a short period of time.

00:11:54
Speaker 3: But I think it's really cool.

00:11:55
Speaker 2: To see, you know, I think there is some merit to you know, maybe having fifteen to twenty starts in the big leagues before you get something like that.

00:12:03
Speaker 3: But obviously, you.

00:12:04
Speaker 2: Know I had fourteen, right, So you know, when do you draw that line? I'm not sure, but I think for me is that, you know, really happy for him, and I'm glad he threw well pretty well in the playoffs. I think that was really cool. And you know, is it is it a baseball purist look? I don't think so. But I think it's also really exciting for the game. And you know, it's great to see some of the best arms and most electric eying, electrifying arms throw In Atlanta.

00:12:31
Speaker 5: You said you had a bunch of people to talk to, you know, pick brains of people. Who was the coolest person you met at the All Star Game that you were like I can't believe I just said hi to that person.

00:12:42
Speaker 3: Met Yeah, yeah, you were out there. I was. I was definitely starts struggling. I was saying hello to you. Yeah.

00:12:50
Speaker 2: I think I wanted to, you know, introduce myself to everybody and say, hey man, it's nice to meet you.

00:12:55
Speaker 3: Really cool to see you. And then I think, you know, I was.

00:12:59
Speaker 2: I was in kind of the ale central corner of the locker room. So I talked to I talked to some of the hitters from Detroit and in Kansas City, talked to Chris Bubitch a lot Scooble was right next to me, Derek, so I obviously asked him a few questions, trying to be you know, cordial about it and everything. But Garret Crochet was another guy who was with the White Sox that you know, have some familiar connections, so talk to him a little bit. But you know, Aaron Judge saying what's up to me? And you know guys like that, that's you've been watching him for so long. And then you know, I faced New York in my last two starts, and it's like this guy's a good guy. But you know, obviously you want to do well against him. But yeah, just trying to say a load of people and you know, if they're open to a conversation.

00:13:41
Speaker 3: I was. I was trying to have it.

00:13:44
Speaker 4: That's good, that's smart. That's a good way to go into the All Star Game and enjoy, enjoy every second of it because it's it's meant to be fun.

00:13:51
Speaker 3: All right.

00:13:52
Speaker 4: So you went into the year and last year you had Ethan Katz is your pitching coach. This year you have a whole new pitching coaching.

00:13:57
Speaker 5: Staff he had.

00:13:58
Speaker 4: They reached out to you. Have you talked to the new staff for the White Sox and have they talked about things they want you to go into spring training working on to make yourself even better because you had a really good year.

00:14:11
Speaker 3: Yeah.

00:14:11
Speaker 2: So I talked to Zach, you know, twice now. I actually texted me earlier today and just kind of checking in. Yeah, I had a good conversation with him. He's trying to get to know me and I'm trying to get to know him. So, you know, just telling them what I'm thinking in terms of, you know, what are the things that I think that would be, you know, to help me make that next jump that I'm trying to do. And trying to make and I think he's doing a really good job of listening. And also, you know, he doesn't know me yet. He just kind of knows the numbers and what it looks like on paper. And I think as we get to know each other more, he's gonna be like, Hey, Shane, I think you really can you know, make a jump with getting guys out with two strikes or first pitch strikes. You know, I definitely have to throw, you know, cut down on a walks this year. But yeah, I think I'm gonna meet with him right after Thanksgiving and really kind of get into the nitty gritty of you know, what's what's gonna help me, what's going to be the most bang for our buck that's you know, simple and effective for next year.

00:15:08
Speaker 4: Hey, also, I want to I wanted to ask you this that you have two rookie catchers, who did you like throwing two more? Keel or Kirot. I'll put you on the spot.

00:15:20
Speaker 3: Here, No, I think. I think.

00:15:24
Speaker 2: I think when you have two rookie guys, they're they're still trying to figure themselves out in dealing with the staff of you know, fifteen sixteen pitchers and to not bring one picture over to the to another is a hard thing to do, but like, hey, this guy does this, but everybody throws differently and everybody's stuff is different, so you kind of have to attack differently. And I think Caro had had Matt Feist early on that helped him out of the gate for Fist to give him scouting reports and and this is how we break down, and this is how we want to look at guys. And then Teal shows up and is and it's just him and Carroll just trying to figure it out on the fly. So it took a lot of the pictures going to Teal and saying, hey man, this is this is what we're trying to do. And and he picked it up right away. You know, if if you didn't like something, you shake it. And he's he's all over it, and he's trying to learn more about you know, why are we shaking there? I think we saw this and then we're having an open conversation. Right, everybody wants to succeed and everybody wants to do well, and it's just kind of how do we get there? So I think, you know, Caroen might have had the head start with theis kind of learning him the ropes. But Teal and Carow, you know, bounced ideas off each other and then you know, relied heavily on the pictures to kind of, you know, guide in one way or another.

00:16:35
Speaker 5: A right trying to meld two things that you said together. You're talking about catchers and you're talking about meeting somebody the All Star Game. I got to ask you who should have won the MVP. You were kind of starstruck by Judge, you said, But you know what, you didn't say anything about cal You were like, hey, whatever, man, I guess that guy is not going to catch me in the All Star Games? So so who should have won the MVP? Because it was close?

00:16:59
Speaker 3: Yeah, well close. I think.

00:17:03
Speaker 2: I think the Most Valuable Player is an interesting award because when you look at a catcher, who it's, you know, sixty one bombs or sixty bombs and you know it's one of the best defensive catchers in the game this year and is really good behind the plate, I think that's it's pretty hard to put a value on that. But then you have judge, who it's you know, three thirty with fifty five or fifty three with an eleven hundred ops, and it's like, Okay, that guy clearly is the staple in that lineup and propels them into a divisional round. I think I think it would have been really cool to see to see cal win it, to see a Catcher win MVP with that amount of bombs and you know, catching five days a week, six days a week and showing up for his team. I think it's really hard to argue what the offensive numbers of Judge were.

00:17:52
Speaker 1: Spoken like a true I was gonna say. Aj spoken like I know, I'm gonna let you talk, but it's very diplomatic. I have I see a future in politics for you. Shane Smith.

00:18:02
Speaker 4: Listen, Shane Murkins. Judge Murkin voted for Judge, so therefore it was Raleigh that's it. And it was Raly and plus you Murkin won't come on the show. You will, so you should have said, Raleigh, Okay, that's that's I did. I know, I know, but you through Judge little love which listen, he won. He great, he deserved it. He had a great year.

00:18:22
Speaker 2: But I mean he did Yeah, he won the MVP, so he can't really discredit everything he does.

00:18:26
Speaker 4: We're not just crediting. We love Aaron judge, we're not discrediting him at all. We're not discrediting him at all.

00:18:31
Speaker 3: I get it. I get it.

00:18:32
Speaker 4: You still have to face him, so you want to. You don't want to mad at you when you have to face him down. But yeah, but okay, So I have two things and then we gotta let you go. One, tell col Some Montgomery to text me back. Okay, I've texted him twice now he has. He's ghosted me. So I'm just gonna keep calling him out and I'm just gonna start texting him every day until he responds. So Teal text me back. You're great about it all. There are a lot of the White Sox guys. But Cools Montgomery, listen, if you're ware my number, to text me back. All right, that's it. I mean, tell Colson. Maybe I have the wrong number. I don't know, but if I do, I'm sorry. But if not, tell them to text me back. And then the next thing I want to know is you have two sisters, right, you have two sisters?

00:19:14
Speaker 3: I do Do.

00:19:16
Speaker 4: You ever tell them not to tweet? Because it's hilarious when they start, people say something about you and then they write like have you ever gone to your sister and said, look, sis, I love you to death, but can we not get in twitter battles today? Just let me pitch and pitch good because you had a great year. And I always then i'd fall and then your sister would pop up on my feet and I would just be like, this is what I came for. This is what's gonna make my day right here.

00:19:39
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, No, there's definitely been some conversations. Uh, I think I think I think early on it was kind of like, hey, you know, people are gonna have things to say that aren't always positive, Like you really got to stay away from it, just you know post hey my brother's pitching today, or hey, good job to my brother, and you know, I can't be mad at that. But I think, you know, there I've seen some instancides where it's like, why are you even entertaining this.

00:20:05
Speaker 3: This guy that's saying, oh, you know, Shane Smith sucks, like just let it go.

00:20:10
Speaker 2: But I'm the little brother, and I think that's got something to do with it. So I think if they hear that they're you know, getting noticed by you guys, they'd be like, either we keep it up or we probably shut it down. But Yeah, there's been some, but you know they're also they're adults and they can live their life as.

00:20:27
Speaker 3: Long as they're you know, not threatening anybody. I think it's okay.

00:20:31
Speaker 1: Social media can be the devil or you love it when.

00:20:37
Speaker 4: Sisters they're standing up for little brother. I mean, by the way, if they say Shane Smith sucks, all you got to do is say All Star Game under four e r A. In my first year in the big leagues. I don't think I suck that bad. I think I had a pretty damn good year.

00:20:51
Speaker 2: I'll let them, you know, respond to the people who say that, that's not my job.

00:20:55
Speaker 1: Yeah, Shane, just stay off of social media. Let your sisters take care of it. You just keep doing what you're doing. Make the All Star team again. We appreciate you being here, man. Have a good offseason. Be well, stay safe. When do you when do you pick up a baseball or have you done that already?

00:21:08
Speaker 2: I picked one up last week, so uh, you know we're getting the rust off and getting back into it now.

00:21:14
Speaker 4: Very good.

00:21:15
Speaker 1: Well, good luck to you. Appreciate you taking the time.

00:21:18
Speaker 3: AJ is knocking Stu.

00:21:20
Speaker 4: I've just picked one up for the first time in a long time.

00:21:24
Speaker 3: All right, guys appreciate it.

00:21:25
Speaker 4: Take care,