Arkansas Professional Athletes

White Sox Pair Makes Noise in the Windy City

Two Razorbacks are quietly building something in Chicago, and Monday night against Cleveland was the clearest proof yet.

Andrew Benintendi went 3-for-5 with an RBI single as the White Sox topped the Guardians 7-3, a performance that lifted his average to .246 on the season. It was a vintage Benintendi line — high contact, situationally productive, zero wasted at-bats. The former Arkansas outfielder has been one of the few dependable offensive presences in a Chicago lineup that has otherwise struggled to find consistency.

But the real eyebrow-raiser came from the mound. Hagen Smith, the White Sox lefty who followed the Razorback path from Fayetteville to the majors, tossed two scoreless innings against the Guardians in the same game, striking out three and lowering his ERA to a stunning 0.41 on the season. That's not a typo. Smith has been virtually untouchable as a late reliever this month, and his 1.0-inning, 3-strikeout outing Friday against Detroit — in a game Chicago lost 8-11 — was further evidence he's pitching at a different level than most of the roster around him.

Smith's ERA did tick up slightly after a rougher Wednesday against Cleveland (two earned runs in 1.2 innings), settling at 1.14 after that appearance. Two Arkansas alums, one team, one memorable week.

Kjerstad Keeps Orioles in the Hunt

Meanwhile, in Baltimore, Heston Kjerstad is doing his part for a different Arkansas-heavy roster.

On Monday against the Mets, Kjerstad went 2-for-4 with an RBI double in a 2-1 Baltimore win — the kind of clutch, efficient contribution that has defined his up-and-down season. His average climbed to .250 after that game before settling back to .211 by Friday. The inconsistency is real, but so is the ceiling. When Kjerstad locks in, he's a legitimate threat in the middle of a lineup that also has Gunnar Henderson doing Gunnar Henderson things.

The Orioles' 2-1 win over New York that night was tight throughout — Henderson hit the only home run, and Kjerstad's double provided the margin of comfort. Brandon Young struck out six to keep the Mets at bay. For an Orioles team managing the final stretch of its season, every run counts, and Kjerstad delivered one when it mattered.

The Rest of the Hogs

Elsewhere in the Arkansas alumni universe, Ryne Stanek worked 0.2 innings for St. Louis on Saturday with his ERA sitting at 4.15 for the year — solid situational work for a Cardinals bullpen leaning on experienced arms down the stretch.

Connor Noland's minor league season drew attention for a different reason: the Cubs' affiliate wrap noted his dominance at Iowa, where he helped beat Omaha 3-2. And Dodgers prospect Charles Davalan earned a spot in the 2026 Arizona Fall League roster, where MLB announced he'd play for the Glendale Desert Dogs alongside fellow top-100 prospect Eduardo Quintero — a postseason showcase that could accelerate his path to Los Angeles.

It was a full week for the Razorback diaspora. But make no mistake: the story belongs to Smith and Benintendi in Chicago, two former Hogs making a case that Arkansas produces major league talent as reliably as anyone.

The Moment That Mattered

James McCann didn't need a big swing. He just needed one.

The Arkansas alum and Arizona Diamondbacks catcher delivered a solo home run in the eighth inning on September 2 — the only run of the game — to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 1-0 and push Arizona back into playoff position. It was the kind of clutch, late-inning moment that separates contenders from pretenders in a crowded September race.

McCann's blast came during a bullpen game that saw Arizona's pitchers blank the Phillies on three hits. Per The Sporting News, it was exactly the sort of gritty, nothing-wasted win that defines a meaningful playoff push. McCann finished the game 1-for-1 at the plate with a home run, an RBI, and a run scored, and is batting .295 on the season — a quietly strong number for a veteran backstop.

The victory wasn't enough to save the series, however. As Yahoo Sports noted in a preview of Arizona's next matchup, the Diamondbacks dropped two of three against Philadelphia, with their offense largely MIA outside of McCann's clutch eighth-inning shot. Still, the win mattered: it reclaimed a playoff spot, and McCann's bat was the reason.

Fletcher on the Move Again

While McCann was making headlines in Arizona, Dominic Fletcher was charting a new course in the minor leagues.

The 29-year-old outfielder signed a minor league deal with the Cincinnati Reds this week, according to MLB Trade Rumors, and will report to Triple-A Louisville. Fletcher had been with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization before triggering a release clause in his minor league contract in mid-August and electing free agency.

Fletcher — a 2019 second-round pick by the Diamondbacks out of Arkansas — has spent much of his professional career knocking on the big-league door. The Reds signing gives him a fresh shot at a September or roster opportunity with a club that could use outfield depth down the stretch.

Around the Diamond

Elsewhere among Razorbacks active in MLB this week:

Andrew Benintendi remained a steady presence in Chicago's lineup, posting a .241–.249 average range across multiple games for the White Sox in a week that included a hit, an RBI, and a run scored against the Astros on September 2. The veteran DH continues to be one of the more reliable bats on a rebuilding club.

Hagen Smith was arguably the week's most impressive pitching performance among Arkansas alums. The White Sox lefty tossed two scoreless innings against the Twins on September 4, striking out three and lowering his ERA to a remarkable 0.69 on the season — a number that barely looks real.

Ryne Stanek worked out of the Cardinals bullpen on multiple occasions, logging a strikeout in each of two back-to-back appearances against the Dodgers while carrying a 4.23 ERA heading into the final stretch.

Andrew Benintendi Is Carrying the White Sox

It's been a week worth circling for Arkansas fans — and for Chicago's long-suffering faithful. Andrew Benintendi turned in one of his best stretches of the season, delivering clutch hits in multiple White Sox wins and reminding everyone why the Razorbacks produce legitimate big-league contributors.

The week opened on Sunday, Aug. 23, when Benintendi's RBI single helped Chicago edge the New York Mets 2-1 in a tightly contested affair. He wasn't done. In the team's 2-1 walkoff win over New York, it was his RBI double in the eighth inning that put the White Sox on the board before Tristan Peters sealed it in the ninth with a solo home run. Then came Saturday, Aug. 29 — the signature moment of the stretch. Benintendi launched a home run, drove in two and crossed the plate twice, going 3-for-the-game and lifting his average to .252 in a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Twins.

In a lineup that hasn't had many consistent offensive weapons, Benintendi is functioning as the White Sox's most dangerous bat right now. For Arkansas alums, the DH from Fayetteville is a reminder that the Hogs' offensive pipeline has real MLB teeth.

Hagen Smith: The Quiet Shutdown Arm

While Benintendi was making noise at the plate, fellow Razorback Hagen Smith was quietly becoming one of the more reliable relievers on Chicago's staff. The lefty appeared in three games during the Aug. 23–29 window and looked sharp in all of them.

Smith opened the week with two strong innings against the Mets on Aug. 23, striking out three and keeping his ERA at 1.13. He followed that with 1.2 innings against the Rangers on Tuesday, fanning one and ticking his ERA down to 0.93. By Saturday against the Twins, he'd tossed another 1.1 innings, struck out two, and watched his ERA settle at a gleaming 0.82 — one of the more impressive marks in any MLB bullpen at this stage of the season.

Over the week, Smith logged 5.0 innings across three appearances, struck out six, and allowed essentially nothing of consequence. For a White Sox club that has had its share of bullpen struggles, Smith is a legitimate bright spot — and for Razorback fans, he's proof that Arkansas's pitching tradition continues to translate at the highest level.

Around the Diamond

Elsewhere in the alumni landscape, James McCann was productive behind the plate for the Arizona Diamondbacks, going 2-for-the-game with an RBI and a run scored in a 9-5 win over the Giants on Aug. 29. The veteran catcher is hitting .296 on the season, still one of the better backstops in the NL. Ryne Stanek continued his workhorse bullpen role for the St. Louis Cardinals, logging two appearances during the week — though his ERA sits at 4.42, a figure he'll want to chip away at down the stretch.

The headline, though, belongs to the White Sox's Razorback tandem. Benintendi at the plate, Smith on the mound — Arkansas fans following the South Side this week had plenty to cheer about.