5 prospects the Cardinals will consider drafting in the MLB draft tonight

#3 - Hagen Smith (Arkansas)

The second-best college arm in this year's first-year player draft is Arkansas' Hagen Smith. While he won't be quite as flashy as Burns is, there are various scouts who put him on par with Burns or even rate him higher as a prospect.

The big lefty was even better than Burns at striking out batters and preventing runs in 2024, posting a 17.3 K/9 and 2.04 ERA. He did throw fewer innings than Burns though, which is notable.

Like Burns, there are teams above the Cardinals who could end up being destinations for Smith, but I would guess it is more likely that Smith is available at number seven than either Wetherholt or Burns.

Let's get into Smith's profile. Like Burns, his fastball and slider both grade out as plus-plus pitches, and he has a splitter and cutter that could end up being significant pitches as well. Smith mostly operates in the upper 90s with his fastball, but he is also able to touch 100 MPH from time to time. Smith has some trouble maintaining his velocity deep into starts, but even in the later innings, he's pumping mid-90s heaters.

His slider is incredibly deceptive with his low-three-quarters slot crossfire approach. We've seen how good someone like Quinn Mathews can be with an upper-90s fastball, wipe-out slider, and deceptive arm slot, and Smith could be an even better version of that. Smith's ceiling also seems to be that of a front-line starter, but there are some who believe he has some reliever risk or could end up being more of a middle-of-the-rotation pitcher.

For St. Louis, adding Smith would bolster their future starting pitching options even further, and like Burns, he should be a quick riser from within the system. While he may not be as fun of a pick as Burns is or quite have the ceiling he has, Smith may end up being the best pitcher in this draft.