Travis Smith has a decision to make.
The Walton-Verona grad and former University of Kentucky baseball player can either go join the Milwaukee Brewers organization after being drafted in the 15th round (455th overall) of the 2024 MLB Draft or go finish out his college career at Mississippi State after hitting the transfer portal and electing to join the Bulldogs.
Smith stated back on July 6 to 247 Sports that he chose Mississippi State to continue to fine tune himself on the mound.
“I had lots of good opportunities to go places and get developed more,” Smith told 247. “I ultimately felt most comfortable with Mississippi State and their coaches. I like their plan to develop guys. I plan to take myself to Mississippi State to develop more.”
But Tuesday’s outcome could bring a change of heart. For MLB picks after the 10th round, a team this year can pay those draftees bonuses up to $150,000 each without having it count against their total pool. If Smith decides the Major League route, he’d then report to the minor leagues and get his professional career started.
After overcoming Tommy John and heart surgery, Smith played two seasons in Lexington. In the 2023 season, he was a mid-week starter for the Wildcats and went 4-3 with a 4.84 ERA in 13 starts. He struck out 43 batters in 48.1 innings pitched. Smith entered 2024 with a lot of promise for the Wildcats, ranked as a top 50 starting pitcher, the No. 71 MLB Draft prospect by MLB.com and a top 200 MLB Draft board by Perfect Game.
He started six games for the Wildcats as a weekend pitcher in 2024 before a minor ailment caused him to miss some starts and move him to the bullpen. Seven of his next eight appearances came out of the bullpen and he finished the Wildcats memorable 2024 season with a 3-4 record and 6.21 ERA. He struck out 33 in 37.2 innings pitched.
Smith graduated from Walton-Verona in 2021 and earned first team All-State honors by the Kentucky High School Baseball Coaches Association. He was the second ranked recruit from the state of Kentucky in 2021 and No. 84 in the country by Baseball America.