MLB Players: The parallel careers of Justin Smoak and Travis Shaw
MLB Players: Trading Places
Smoak and Shaw Start
Smoak was first to reach the majors only because he has nearly three years on Shaw.
Smoak was first drafted in 2005 out of his South Carolina high school by the Athletics but opted to attend the University of South Carolina, and three years later was the number 11 overall pick by the Texas Rangers.
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His time in the minors was short as he made it to the Rangers’ squad in 2010 but was traded mid-season to the Mariners as part of the deal that netted Texas Cliff Lee.
In four complete seasons in Seattle, he was a serviceable power hitter with ok defense at first base but certainly not up to the level of what his draft status was.
During Smoak’s 2011 season, the Boston Red Sox drafted Shaw in the 9th round out of Kent State University. This was their second attempt to draft Shaw as they tried to draft him out of high school in 2008; the same year Smoak was drafted and signed.
Shaw much longer time to develop as he didn’t reach the majors until 2015. He didn’t get every start either as he was behind Boston’s big free-agent acquisitions of Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez.
So both Smoak and Shaw started middle-of-the-road, but they both put together their best seasons to date, coincidentally, the same season. And it wasn’t with the Mariners or the Red Sox.