This story was excerpted from Scott Merkin’s White Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CHICAGO -- White Sox director of amateur scouting Mike Shirley handed out a plethora of plaudits to Hagen Smith when the team selected the left-handed hurler from Arkansas with the fifth overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft on July 14.

One of those compliments for a potentially major part of a young and talented future Chicago rotation stood out, and it had nothing directly to do with Smith’s on-field talent.

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“He's the CEO of his own company. And it's a real company,” Shirley said. “He has a diligent plan of what he's trying to accomplish with his life.”

“Yeah, that’s actually a pretty good description of it,” Smith said with a laugh during a conversation with MLB.com.

Given that the 20-year-old Smith isn’t literally in charge of a business, what does the CEO comment mean? Along with humility, loyalty and trust -- traits possessed by Smith as explained by Shirley -- it means Smith is centered on living a normal, almost regulated existence away from the field while focused upon his craft at the field. During his season with the Razorbacks, Smith spoke of being up in the morning between 6 and 6:30 a.m. and asleep by 8:45-9:15 p.m.

When he is back home instead of beginning his professional career in Arizona, Smith works out, does his throwing and then kind of hangs out at the house with his girlfriend and dog. He’ll eventually go eat with his friends.

“Just really not much at all,” Smith said. “Just trying to relax. … I’ve always been like that growing up, kind of a homebody, go to sleep early. Especially being an athlete, it kind of works with my personality, too. Just trying to get that extra rest.

“Having a steady routine off the field, it kind of translates to on the field. Trying to do it every single day and try to be the same person every single day.”

Even with a franchise-record $8 million signing bonus, also representing a Draft record for left-handed pitchers, Smith has not bought anything extravagant.

“No, that probably won’t happen for a while. Nothing big, for sure,” Smith said. “I haven’t thought about buying anything, honestly. I’m sure I’ll get something and treat myself down the road.

Let’s not forget, Smith also has an immense amount of talent. He went 9-2 with a 2.04 ERA, a .144 opponents’ average, a 0.89 WHIP and 161 strikeouts over 84 innings with Arkansas this season. He also attended the weeklong White Sox post-Draft camp at Camelback Ranch and remained in Glendale, Ariz., where evaluations for what the remainder of his Minor League season were determined.

The hope was to get Smith to an organization affiliate, and he ultimately made three starts with High-A Winston-Salem, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings. The focus was making sure Smith remains in a good place.

Talk already has started of Smith being able to contribute to the White Sox as soon as the 2025 season -- he’s that advanced. But there’s no extra pressure coming with those lofty expectations or simply the idea of being a top-five pick.

“We are all in the same position right now, everybody that got drafted,” Smith said. “We are all going through the same thing for the first time. No pressure, just going through it and trying to learn.

“It’s a process. Obviously, that’s my goal, is to get there as fast as I can, with development. Just whenever I’m ready, it will be awesome. Hopefully sooner. You never know what it’s going to be.”

The White Sox have made a significant commitment to Smith just a couple weeks away from his 21st birthday. Smith has been making that commitment to success for as long as he’s been playing.

“They showed me they like me a lot,” Smith said. “It kind of registers in my head. Obviously, it’s awesome to get that opportunity.”

“He has that type of weapons, he can put you away, he can make you uncomfortable,” Shirley said. “As the great Jim Thome said, ‘I might need to take a day off when we face this guy.’ That's part of it. This guy's real.”