Will Smith

Will Smith

35-Year-Old PitcherRP
 Free Agent  
Free Agent
Out
Injury Back
Est. Return 2/1/2025
2024 Fantasy Outlook
Smith, who made his MLB debut with Kansas City back in 2012, will return to the organization more than a decade later after recently signing a 1-year, $5 million contract with the Royals. The veteran left-hander earned 22 saves for the Rangers last season and has 113 for his career, but really struggled over the final two months (7.45 ERA, 1.50 WHIP), eventually ceding closing duties in mid-August. He now joins a crowded late-inning mix and could be part of a closer committee in 2024 despite having the most experience in the 9th inning. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
Rest of Season
From Preseason
#315
ADP
$Signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Royals in December of 2023. Contract includes up to $1 million in incentives.
Throwing, but timeline uncertain
PKansas City Royals  
Back
September 16, 2024
Smith recently resumed throwing bullpen sessions, but he's still experiencing back tightness and is without a clear timeline for a return from the 15-day injured list, MLB.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Smith had been contending with back issues for several weeks before the Royals placed him on the IL on Aug. 26. Though it's encouraging that Smith hasn't been shut down from throwing, he'll likely need the soreness in his back to subside a bit more before the Royals are comfortable bringing him back. It's unclear if Smith has a legitimate chance at being activated before the regular season ends Sept. 29.
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Pitching Stats
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2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2024 MLB Game Log
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2023 MLB Game Log
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Pitching Appearances Breakdown
Average Pitch Count
15
Last 10 Games
16
Last 5 Games
20
How many pitches does Will Smith generally throw?
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
What part of the game does Will Smith generally pitch?
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
% Games Reaching Innings Threshold
% Games By Number of Innings Pitched
Left/Right Pitching Splits
Since 2022
 
 
-16%
BAA vs LHP
2024
 
 
-21%
BAA vs LHP
2023
 
 
-21%
BAA vs LHP
2022
 
 
-14%
BAA vs LHP
BAA Batters K BB H 2B 3B HR
Since 2022vs Left .217 243 65 11 50 12 0 5
Since 2022vs Right .259 430 84 46 97 24 2 16
2024vs Left .235 72 16 2 16 4 0 2
2024vs Right .299 114 13 13 29 7 0 5
2023vs Left .177 66 19 4 11 0 0 1
2023vs Right .224 160 36 13 33 11 1 4
2022vs Left .230 105 30 5 23 8 0 2
2022vs Right .267 156 35 20 35 6 1 7
More Splits View More Split Stats
Home/Away Pitching Splits
Since 2022
 
 
-25%
ERA on Road
2024
 
 
-65%
ERA on Road
2023
 
 
-5%
ERA on Road
2022
 
 
-16%
ERA at Home
ERA WHIP IP W L SV K/9 BB/9 HR/9
Since 2022Home 5.42 1.40 86.1 2 7 15 8.2 2.7 1.1
Since 2022Away 4.04 1.16 71.1 0 6 13 8.8 3.9 1.3
2024Home 9.41 1.68 22.0 0 2 0 5.3 3.7 1.6
2024Away 3.26 1.19 19.1 0 2 1 7.4 2.8 1.4
2023Home 4.50 1.13 30.0 2 3 13 7.8 2.1 0.9
2023Away 4.28 0.99 27.1 0 4 9 9.5 3.3 0.7
2022Home 3.67 1.46 34.1 0 2 2 10.5 2.6 1.0
2022Away 4.38 1.34 24.2 0 0 3 9.1 5.5 1.8
More Splits View More Split Stats
Stat Review
How does Will Smith compare to other relievers?
This section compares his stats with all relief pitcher seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 30 innings)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.

* Exit Velocity, Barrels/BBE %, Balls Hit 95+ MPH %, and Spin Rate are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 30 IP). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
  • K/BB
    Strikeout to walk ratio.
  • K/9
    Average strikeouts per nine innings.
  • BB/9
    Average walks per nine innings.
  • HR/9
    Average home runs allowed per nine innings.
  • Fastball
    Average fastball velocity.
  • ERA
    Earned run average. The average earned runs allowed per nine innings.
  • WHIP
    Walks plus hits per inning pitched.
  • BABIP
    Batting average on balls in play. Measures how many balls in play against a pitcher go for hits.
  • GB/FB
    Groundball to flyball ratio. The higher the number, the more likely a pitcher is to induce groundballs.
  • Left On Base
    The percentage of base runners that a pitcher strands on base over the course of a season.
  • Exit Velocity
    The speed of the baseball as it comes off the bat, immediately after a batter makes contact.
  • Barrels/BBE
    The percentage of batted ball events resulting in a Barrel. A Barrel is a batted ball with similar exit velocity and launch angle to past ones that led to a minimum .500 batting average and 1.500 slugging percentage.
  • Spin Rate
    Spin Rate is the rate of spin on a baseball after it is released. It is measured in revolutions per minute (rpm).
  • Balls Hit 95+ MPH
    The percentage of batted balls hit that met or exceeded the 95 MPH threshold.
  • Swinging Strike
    The percentage of pitches that result in a swing and a miss.
K/BB
1.93
 
K/9
6.3
 
BB/9
3.3
 
HR/9
1.5
 
Fastball
91.3 mph
 
ERA
6.53
 
WHIP
1.45
 
BABIP
.303
 
GB/FB
0.75
 
Left On Base
57.8%
 
Exit Velocity
82.2 mph
 
Barrels/BBE
5.5%
 
Spin Rate
2247 rpm
 
Balls Hit 95+ MPH
22.0%
 
Swinging Strike
10.4%
 
Advanced Pitching Stats
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Defensive Stats
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Stats Vs Today's Lineup
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2010
After coming over in a trade from Atlanta on Aug. 1, Smith proceeded to make 24 relief appearances for Houston during the regular season, compiling a 3.27 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and six holds in 22 innings. Overall he had a 3.97 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and five saves over 65 appearances, though a declining strikeout rate (to 9.92 K/9 - the worst since his rookie season) is a concern. Smith surpassed 30 saves in 2019 and 2021 with San Francisco and Atlanta, respectively, so he could be in the mix to close in Texas despite signing with the Rangers late in the spring.
After Kenley Jansen shockingly signed a one-year deal with Atlanta in March, Smith appears to be back to being one of the game's top setup men. Smith racked up 37 saves in 43 chances for the National League champion Braves and led all relievers with a 92.5% team save share, so he will certainly be the next man up if Jansen struggles or gets injured. Equipped with a devastating slider that he threw 41% of the time to stifle opposing hitters (.124 BA, 49.1% Whiff%), Smith posted a solid 11.5 K/9. However, the southpaw struggled on occasion with walks (9.9%) and he served up 11 home runs in 68 innings (1.5 HR/9). Despite these blemishes, the Braves stuck by him after seven straight seasons of success in high-leverage. Smith has a hefty $13M contract this season with a team option for 2023.
Those who drafted Smith with the assumption that he would wrestle away the closer job from Mark Melancon were left disappointed, as the southpaw hung a goose egg in the saves column. Smith missed most of summer camp following a positive COVID-19 test and did not debut until Aug. 9, finishing with a 4.50 ERA across 25 total appearances (postseason included). Under the hood, mostly everything looks fine as Smith still had a 29.0 K%, fueled by a stellar 17.5 SwStr%. He also had a 6.5 BB%, an improvement on his 2019 mark. The long ball was a problem, but less so later in the year with Smith allowing only two HR in his final 14 appearances. Smith was one of the top closers in all of baseball in 2019 when he racked up 34 saves for the Giants, and he is going to play a big role in the late innings for Atlanta, with perhaps a partial share of the ninth. The Braves made it clear they like Smith in a flexible role.
Smith was one of the top closers in MLB last season, compiling 34 saves for the 77-win Giants. Along with a stellar 2.76 ERA and 1.03 ERA, Smith fell just four punchouts shy of the century mark. He avoided the IL, throwing 65.1 innings, his most since 2014. He missed all of 2017 rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. Smith is essentially a two-pitch hurler, relying mainly on his fastball and slider, only occasionally mixing in a curve and changeup. He's lost a couple ticks from his fastball post TJS but gets more tilt on his wipeout slider. As a southpaw, Smith excels versus left-handed batters but also handles righty swingers nearly as well as top right-handed relievers. Smith left the Giants, signing a three-year, $39 million contract with the Braves. Atlanta is reportedly sticking with Mark Melancon as the closer. However, cream usually rises, and Smith is the superior arm. Draft accordingly.
Smith missed 2017 while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery but in 2018 quickly earned a setup role that eventually turned into closing duty, running away with the job in late June. He cleaned up after Mark Melancon and others while Hunter Strickland (finger) was sidelined. The southpaw went 14-for-17 in save situations, and along the way posted a career-best ERA while improving his K/9 by 1.4 and BB/9 by 1.5 from 2016. Smith showed he regained his strikeout punch with a 14.8% swinging-strike rate. The team owes Melancon $14 million in each of the next two seasons, but Smith has made a strong case to hold onto the job given his increased reliability against righty batters (.248 wOBA last year). The Giants have not made it a secret that they are looking to trade Smith to a contender, so while he may open the season getting saves, it's quite possible he won't be by season's end.
Smith missed all of the 2017 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March, but he was able to resume throwing in September and is expected to be ready by Opening Day. Pitchers coming back from reconstructive elbow surgery are somewhat of a crapshoot, though it helps that Smith has never relied on overpowering velocity to get batters out, as his fastball sits around 92 mph. Prior to 2017, the southpaw had established himself as a reliable back-end reliever, compiling a combined 3.24 ERA and 11.9 K/9 from 2013 to 2016. Assuming he's able to regain his pre-injury form, the 28-year-old should work his way back into a high-leverage role for the Giants, likely working as one of the team's top lefty setup men. While Smith should be a solid source of ERA and strikeouts, his value will likely be limited outside of leagues that count holds with Mark Melancon locked into the ninth inning.
The Giants paid a pretty penny to acquire Smith at the trade deadline this past season, immediately slotting him into a late-inning role. The southpaw struggled with his new club early on, giving up six earned runs over his first 4.2 innings with San Francisco. He settled in nicely after that, posting a 0.80 WHIP while accumulating nine holds over 18 scoreless appearances from Aug. 20 through the end of the regular season. Smith isn't your traditional lefty, as his splits are pretty even against opposing lefties and righties. That quality is what made him such an attractive piece to the Giants and why they were willing to give up a top pitching prospect, Phil Bickford, to acquire him. Smith will serve as manager Bruce Bochy's left-handed setup man in 2017, making him a desirable target in leagues that count holds.
Smith appears poised to get some saves for the Brewers after posting the best season of his relief career in 2015. He set career bests in K/9 (12.9), ERA (2.70) and FIP (2.47) while winning seven games and holding 20 more out of the setup role. Most importantly, Smith held his own against right-handed pitching after struggling mightily against them in previous years. Righties hit just .193/.264/.281 against Smith compared to .295/.391/.481 in 2014. The Brewers announced in camp that Smith and Jeremy Jeffress would both get save opportunities this season, with manager Craig Counsell playing the matchups in the ninth inning. Smith figures to be the better source of ratios and strikeouts, although as the southpaw, he could be used less frequently in the closer role. His slider is definitely a closer-quality pitch: it drew nearly a 30 percent whiff rate and was responsible for 68 of Smith's 91 strikeouts in 2015.
Smith’s final numbers don’t tell the entire tale of his entire 2014 campaign, as 14 of the 27 earned runs he gave up during the season came during the month of July. He was dominant to begin the season, giving up just one earned run through the end of May, but he faded a bit down the stretch while appearing in 78 games, the most he has pitched at any level as a professional. Smith possess a mid-90s fastball and throws two nasty breaking pitches, and he has shown he can be a dominant southpaw. Manager Ron Roenicke will likely look to conserve Smith a little better in 2015, but he figures to be the top left-hander out of the Brewers’ bullpen.
For the second year in a row, Smith spent much of his time on the shuttle between Triple-A and the majors. He worked out of the bullpen for the most part but also got a bit of work as a spot starter as well. He posted a very impressive 11.6 K/9 over 33.1 innings, with an even tastier 6.14 K/BB, which helped solidify the Royals bullpen as one of the strongest in the majors last year. But after signing free agent Jason Vargas, evaluating their own in-house options, and looking into some additional free agents, the Royals ended up trading Smith to the Brewers in exchange for outfielder Norichika Aoki. Smith will likely get a chance to compete for a rotation spot during the spring, but he will more likely continue pitching out of the bullpen.
Like many of the Royals' young starters, Smith was thrust into action, perhaps a little ahead of schedule, due to a build up of injuries in the rotation. He was a spot starter from May through July, but found a relatively permanent home come August. He made 16 starts over the course of the season and finished with a 6-9 record and a 5.32 ERA but with just a 1.8 K/BB over 89.2 innings. He was never a big strikeout guy down in the minors, posting a 7.4 K/9 through 89.2 innings for Triple-A Omaha during the season, but that number dropped to 5.9 in the majors. He also saw a spike in his walk and home-run rates. The 23-year-old southpaw will likely get a chance to compete for a spot with the big club this spring, but he still looks like he is at least another year away from commanding the strike zone and putting together a worthwhile season for fantasy owners.
Scouts just don't understand how Smith dropped into the seventh round two years ago. He spent the summer adjusting to better competition, and by the end of the year was progressing without a hitch. Smith may be challenged in the tougher hitting environments higher in the system, but he's a long-term play in any league.
More Fantasy News
Placed on IL with back spasms
PKansas City Royals  
Back
August 26, 2024
The Royals placed Smith on the 15-day injured list Monday with low back spasms.
ANALYSIS
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Handed loss Friday
PKansas City Royals  
August 10, 2024
Smith (0-4) allowed two runs on a hit and a walk over one-third of an inning, taking the loss Friday versus the Cardinals.
ANALYSIS
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Takes third loss
PKansas City Royals  
June 14, 2024
Smith (0-3) allowed an unearned run on two hits and struck out one in one-third of an inning to take the loss Friday versus the Dodgers.
ANALYSIS
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Handling low-leverage role well
PKansas City Royals  
June 1, 2024
Smith has allowed two runs over nine innings since the start of May.
ANALYSIS
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Pulled from save situation
PKansas City Royals  
April 6, 2024
Smith was removed from a save situation Friday against the White Sox. He allowed one hit and one walk while striking out one batter in one-third of an inning.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Royals want to trade for closer
PKansas City Royals  
January 25, 2024
The Royals would prefer to trade for a closer and shift Smith to a setup role, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
ANALYSIS
Rosenthal implies doubt that the Royals will be able to pull it off, however, viewing Devin Williams or Emmanuel Clase as unlikely trade matches and Kenley Jansen's $16 million salary prohibitive. Still, it's noteworthy for those participating in early fantasy drafts when considering Smith as a potential source for saves.
See All MLB Rumors