Scottsdale, AZ (AP) – Shane Smith was a lottery ticket for the Chicago White Sox when the team reported to spring training last year.

This time around, there are expectations for big right-hander.

Smith has gone from the Rule 5 draft to the top of Chicago’s rotation and a leading candidate to start for the rebuilding White Sox on opening day. He won’t be sneaking up on anyone this year.

“He understands that he’s a dude on this team,” manager Will Venable said. “In camp last year he was trying to prove that he was a dude on this team.”

Smith, 25, made his first Cactus League start of the year on Monday against Colorado. He hit two batters in the first before Jacob Heatherly recorded the last out of the inning.

Smith returned to the mound for the second and pitched a scoreless inning before departing for good. He was charged with two earned runs and two hits.

“Good to get out there, get that out of the way,” he said. “It’s easier to have a diagnostic of like, ‘Hey, what does moving at game speed look like and how do we fix it?’”

Smith turned into a pleasant surprise after Chicago selected him with the first pick in the Rule 5 draft in December 2024. He became the second player to be named an All-Star in the season after going in the Rule 5 draft, joining Dan Uggla with the Marlins in 2006.

Smith finished with a 7-8 record and a 3.81 ERA in 29 starts. After going through a rough stretch in the middle of the year, he pitched 11 innings of one-run ball over his final two outings.

“I think it’s tough when your last two outings of the year are really strong and you feel really good. Because then you take a couple of weeks off of throwing and everything feels out of whack again,” he said. “I think I’m just trying to find that feel from the last two starts and bring it out here again.”

It’s a different spring training than last year, when Smith had the Rule 5 regulations hanging over his head. Rule 5 players must stay on the active 26-man major league roster all season or else clear waivers and be offered back to their original organization for $50,000.

“Every day still matters, obviously,” Smith said, “but it’s just what do I want to work on today that’s going to set me up better for maybe five weeks from now, six weeks from now rather than my next outing has to be perfect in order to do it.

“Just trying to get better each day. Some days it looks different, some days it looks the same, but that’s really all I’m trying to do.”

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