Program 15 Player Profile: 2017 MLB Draft Prospect Isaiah Smith (Showtime Baseball)

A typical day for Isaiah Smith isn’t much different than many other kids who are 17 years old like he is.

Wake up, go to school, practice baseball for 2-3 hours, eat dinner, do homework and go to sleep.

But it’s that baseball part that Smith seems to have down pat.  The Showtime Baseball standout is considered one of the top prospects in the Northwest for the upcoming 2017 MLB Draft, and the Washington State University commit is projected to be taken in the top ten rounds.

Billy Hayes’ Showtime program has been a perfect fit for the talented outfielder.

“He helped with the work ethic, that everything you do is 100 percent,” Smith said.  “It was an honor (to play there), we had cool guys to play with, great coaching and it was a great experience.  We were playing the best teams, and that’s the goal.  You want to go up against good competition, so in that way, you’re playing against the people you hope to see in the future.”

That future will be very bright for Smith, who has the option to play for a major college program or pursue his professional career following the draft.  The interest in him for the latter has been challenging to manage at times.

“The way I looked at it was, yes it was pretty stressful when it was all first happening,” Smith said.  “It was like a switch, everybody all of a sudden was coming to watch.  It’s cool, but then again you’re kind of stressed out.  Someone told me to pick your number that you’re OK with and just play your game.  So that’s what I do.  I just try to play the game, do what I do best and not really think about who’s watching.”

Smith is a high-effort player who will be a big addition to either Washington State or a major-league organization.

“That’s the big M.O. for me, that whatever you do, you’ve got to give it 100 percent for me no matter what,” he said.  “Even if you ground out and know you’re getting thrown out, you still get there as fast as you can.  That’s what I strive to be, always play the game hard.”

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Mike Ashmore

Mike Ashmore is a veteran baseball writer. Since 2003 he has covered multiple World Series and has worked high-profile events ranging from the MLB All-Star Game to the World Baseball Classic. In addition to his role working for Future Stars Series, the New Jersey native currently serves as the beat writer of the Double-A New York Yankees affiliate, the Somerset Patriots, as well as national hockey writer and New York Jets game day beat reporter for The Trentonian. Ashmore has worked six Super Bowls, ten Stanley Cup Finals, the NBA Playoffs, College Football Playoff National Championship Game, Frozen Four, Daytona 500, major UFC events and much more as he approaches 3,000 games covered in his career.

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