Drew Smyly
34-Year-Old
15-Day IL
Injury Hip
Est. Return 5/7/2024
2024 Stats
W-L
2-2
ERA
4.97
WHIP
1.34
K
11
SV
0
Rest-of-Season Projections
2024 Fantasy Outlook
It was a mostly forgettable 2023 campaign for the veteran Smyly. On a positive note, he was able to rack up 142.1 innings across 41 appearances (23 starts), which was his biggest workload since 2016. However, Smyly didn't pitch particularly well while he was out there, finishing with a 5.00 ERA and 1.43 WHIP. By comparison, the lefty managed a 3.47 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 2022, which was his first season with the Cubs. He lost a few ticks on his fastball, falling from a 92.6 mph average in 2022 to 92.0 last year, though his K/9 actually increased in 2023, settling in just below 9.0. Smyly ultimately suffered from some bad luck in 2023, as evidenced by his .305 BABIP, which was up 30 points from a year earlier. The lefty also had a 3.54 BB/9, which was his highest mark since 2019. That season was also the last time Smyly had an ERA of 5.00 or higher, so it stands to reason that if he can cut down the free passes some in 2024, he should be able to lower his ERA as well. Whether the veteran attempts to do that from a starting role remains to be seen. The Cubs have Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon and Kyle Hendricks locked into rotation spots, with the likes of Jordan Wicks, Javier Assad and Hayden Wesneski behind them. That could push Smyly into more of a long-relief or swing role, which would limit his already diminished fantasy value. Read Past Outlooks
To IL with hip injury
The Cubs placed Smyly on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a right hip impingement, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
ANALYSIS
Smyly last pitched Sunday against the Marlins and must have suffered an injury during the outing. He'll be eligible to return May 7, although it's not clear at this point whether he will be ready at that time.
Smyly last pitched Sunday against the Marlins and must have suffered an injury during the outing. He'll be eligible to return May 7, although it's not clear at this point whether he will be ready at that time.
Pitching Stats
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2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
Minor League Game Log
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Pitching Appearances Breakdown
Average Pitch Count
23
Last 10 Games
23
Last 5 Games
19
How many pitches does Drew Smyly 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+
What part of the game does Drew Smyly generally pitch?
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
-11%
BAA vs RHP
2024
Even Split
BAA | K | BB | H | HR | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Since 2022vs Left | .278 | 54 | 24 | 69 | 9 | |||
Since 2022vs Right | .248 | 189 | 63 | 191 | 35 | |||
2024vs Left | .250 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 1 | |||
2024vs Right | .250 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 1 | |||
2023vs Left | .338 | 36 | 15 | 47 | 6 | |||
2023vs Right | .241 | 105 | 41 | 100 | 20 | |||
2022vs Left | .191 | 13 | 8 | 17 | 2 | |||
2022vs Right | .258 | 78 | 18 | 84 | 14 | |||
More Splits→ | View More Split Stats |
Home/Away Pitching Splits
Since 2022
-2%
ERA at Home
2024
-7%
ERA on Road
ERA | WHIP | IP | K/9 | BB/9 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Since 2022Home | 4.33 | 1.18 | 114.1 | 9.3 | 2.3 | ||||
Since 2022Away | 4.41 | 1.44 | 147.0 | 7.7 | 3.6 | ||||
2024Home | 5.14 | 0.86 | 7.0 | 7.7 | 1.3 | ||||
2024Away | 4.76 | 1.94 | 5.2 | 7.9 | 6.4 | ||||
2023Home | 5.60 | 1.29 | 62.2 | 10.3 | 2.4 | ||||
2023Away | 4.52 | 1.53 | 79.2 | 7.8 | 4.4 | ||||
2022Home | 2.42 | 1.07 | 44.2 | 8.1 | 2.2 | ||||
2022Away | 4.23 | 1.28 | 61.2 | 7.4 | 2.2 | ||||
More Splits→ | View More Split Stats |
Stat Review
How does Drew Smyly 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.
* 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
2.20K/9
7.8BB/9
3.6HR/9
1.4Fastball
93.1 mphERA
4.97WHIP
1.34BABIP
.288GB/FB
0.50Left On Base
56.3%Exit Velocity
83.1 mphBarrels/BBE
4.8%Spin Rate
2106 rpmBalls Hit 95+ MPH
22.6%Swinging Strike
12.2%Advanced Pitching Stats
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Defensive Stats
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Stats Vs Today's Lineup
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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Drew Smyly See More
Todd Zola considers the impact of the 2024 baseball on the homer totals of certain players, including Corey Seager.
An early look at the state of pitching in 2024 reveals more wins going to relievers and a hint that scoring could be down this year compared to 2023.
Latest Fantasy Rumors
Starting chance on horizon?
Justin Steele is expected to be placed on the injured list after he suffered a hamstring strain Thursday, reports Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune, potentially opening a path to start for Smyly.
ANALYSIS
Smyly missed out on a rotation spot to begin the season but could quickly step into the rotation due to the Cubs' ace going down with an injury in the season opener. The 34-year-old Smyly had a 5.00 ERA in 142.1 innings last season and surrendered 12 runs over 14.2 frames during spring training, so Chicago could also look elsewhere if it needs rotation help beyond a spot start or two.
Smyly missed out on a rotation spot to begin the season but could quickly step into the rotation due to the Cubs' ace going down with an injury in the season opener. The 34-year-old Smyly had a 5.00 ERA in 142.1 innings last season and surrendered 12 runs over 14.2 frames during spring training, so Chicago could also look elsewhere if it needs rotation help beyond a spot start or two.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2023
2022
2021
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
Brought in as a veteran option on a rebuilding team, Smyly pretty much delivered as advertised for the Cubs in 2022. The lefty made 22 starts, compiling a strong 3.47 ERA and 1.19 WHIP across 106 innings. He missed some time with oblique and shoulder issues, but for someone who last topped 130 innings in a season back in 2016, it would have been unrealistic to expect much more in terms of workload. Smyly recorded a 7.70 K/9 last year, which was a tick below his 8.79 career mark, though his average fastball sat at 92.6 mph, which was a bit ahead of his fastball in 2021 and mostly in line with his career numbers. Smyly declined his portion of a $10 million mutual option with the Cubs but will return to Chicago on a two-year, $19 million deal. He'll turn 34 during the 2023 season, so he's unlikely to take a huge step forward as a pitcher, and injuries remain a concern. However, Smyly should again provide a veteran presence in the rotation, and it's reasonable to expect production that looks similar to his 2022 numbers, especially with the signings of Dansby Swanson and Cody Bellinger lifting the floor of Chicago's defense.
More Fantasy News
Solid so far
Through four appearances (6.2 innings), Smyly has a 4.05 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and seven strikeouts.
ANALYSIS
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Misses out on rotation spot
Cubs manager Craig Counsell confirmed Thursday that Smyly will begin the season in the bullpen, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.
ANALYSIS
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Could serve as spot starter
Smyly could start the regular season in the rotation with Jameson Taillon (back) set to miss some time into April, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Pitches well Sunday
Smyly tossed 3.1 scoreless innings in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Rangers. He allowed four hits and a walk, while striking out four.
ANALYSIS
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Gets hit hard Thursday
Smyly allowed five runs on seven hits and a walk across two innings during Thursday's Cactus League game against the Rockies. He struck out one.
ANALYSIS
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