Drew Smyly Stats
- Height / Weight
- 6' 2" / 188 lbs.
- Date of Birth (Age)
- 6/13/1989 (34)
- Experience
- 10
- College
- Arkansas
Drew Smyly Season Stats
Last 10 Games
Drew Smyly News
The Chicago Cubs placed pitchers Kyle Hendricks (back) and Drew Smyly (hip) on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday and recalled infielder Matt Mervis, right-hander Hayden Wesneski and left-hander Luke Little from Triple-A Iowa in corresponding moves. The 34-year-old Hendricks has been downright bad so far in 2024, posting a 12.00 ERA in his first five starts, but hopefully his back injury was mostly to blame. If left-hander Justin Steele (hamstring) is able to return from his IL stint before Hendricks does, which is likely, Hendricks could find himself out of a rotation spot when he's ready to return. With Hendricks out, Wesneski is a candidate to fill his rotation spot until Steele is able to return. Little will give the Cubs another left-handed arm out of the bullpen to replace Smyly.
Chicago Cubs pitchers Javier Assad, Drew Smyly, and Hayden Wesneski are expected to compete for the fifth starting pitcher role during Spring Training, according to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. Former first-round pick Jordan Wicks is also in the mix, but Bastian notes that he's likely "better served" opening the year at Triple-A. That leaves three pitchers for presumably just one spot in the rotation, assuming the top four starters remain healthy and productive this spring. All three hurlers have potential; Assad limited hits and runs last year, Wesneski boasted a .224 OBA and 10.67 K/9 following the All-Star Break, and Smyly is a lefty with plenty of MLB experience. The two odd men out will be top candidates for a shift to the bullpen, even if temporary.
Chicago Cubs left-hander Drew Smyly exercised his $8.5 million player option for the 2024 season on Monday. Smyly was a swingman for the Cubs in his second year in Chicago in 2023, making 41 total appearances (23 starts). The 34-year-old veteran southpaw wasn't very effective, though, going 11-11 with a 5.00 ERA (4.96 FIP) and 1.43 WHIP with 56 walks and 141 strikeouts in his 142 1/3 innings pitched. He was much more effective in a relief role, as he had a 2.51 ERA and 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings in 28 2/3 innings out of the bullpen compared to a 5.62 ERA and 8.1 K/9 in 113 2/3 innings as a starter. Smyly is going to have to be better in a starting role in spring training next year if he wants to win a rotation spot for the Cubbies to begin the 2024 regular season.
Batting Order
1 | Nico Hoerner |
2 | Ian Happ |
3 | Cody Bellinger |
4 | Michael Busch |
5 | Christopher Morel |
6 | Dansby Swanson |
7 | Mike Tauchman |
8 | Matt Mervis |
9 | Miguel Amaya |
Drew Smyly Stats
Last 10 Games
Batting Order
1 | Nico Hoerner |
2 | Ian Happ |
3 | Cody Bellinger |
4 | Michael Busch |
5 | Christopher Morel |
6 | Dansby Swanson |
7 | Mike Tauchman |
8 | Matt Mervis |
9 | Miguel Amaya |
Atlanta Braves starter Drew Smyly was dominant in seven appearances for San Francisco last season, posting a 3.42 ERA and a monster 37.8% strikeout rate in 2020. It was the first time Smyly finished with an ERA lower than 4.88 since 2015, and after a long, treacherous journey recovering from Tommy John, Smyly looks ready to produce at the big league level again. The southpaw rediscovered his killer curveball in 2020, a pitch that generated a 40.8% chase rate and 22.4% swinging strike rate last season. Opposing batters flailed hopelessly at Smyly's bender, posting just a .184 BA and a 55 wRC+ against the pitch in 2020. Smyly also used his curveball 36.5% of the time, which was a career high by far. As a fragile lefty with a strong curveball and big upside, the best comparison for Smyly seems to be Rich Hill. That could be either a good thing or bad thing depending on how you look at it, but Smyly certainly has the potential and pedigree to be dominant in short bursts. It would be a miracle to see Smyly top 150 innings pitched in a 162-game season, but he's capable of providing an incredible 50-125 innings between IL stints. He's also capable of making two starts and spending the rest of the year on the shelf, or imploding completely and posting an ERA north of five. When considering whether to draft Smyly (ADP ~228) one should consider their risk appetite and willingness to stream replacement starters. There's a spot for Smyly on someone's fantasy team, but that manager must be willing to roll with the punches. The reward may very well be worth it for those who draft Smyly.