​John “John John” Smith III was born in Apollo Beach, Florida and attended Lennard High School in nearby Ruskin. He lettered twice and hit a cumulative .397/.638/.603, electing to attend Pensacola State College after graduating in 2022. In his freshman year, the outfielder played in all 48 Pirates games, hitting .382/.384/.497 with 7 doubles, 1 triple, 8 home runs, 18 stolen bases in 20 attempts, and drew 20 walks to 38 strikeouts. His sophomore season was similar, as he once again played in all 48 games the Pirates played. He hit a team-leading .382/.452/.688, with 17 doubles, 2 triples, 12 home runs, 9 stolen bases in 12 attempts, and drew 19 walks to 17 strikeouts. In both years, he played for the Winter Garden Squeeze of the Florida Collegiate Summer League.In 2025, his junior year, he transferred to the University of South Alabama, making the jump from NJCAA Division I baseball to NCAA Division I baseball. The right-hander acclimated himself exceptionally well to the Sun Belt Conference, starting all 49 games, 23 in right and 26 as the Jaguars designated hitter. Smith led the team in hits and batted .314/.412/.466 with 8 doubles, 7 home runs, 2 stolen bases in 6 attempts, and drew 30 walks to 46 strikeouts, good for a 111 wRC+. Despite solid numbers, now at a NCAA Division I program, Smith went undrafted in the 2025 MLB Draft.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThat summer, Smith played for the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod Baseball League, where he appeared in 9 games and logged 1 hit in 18 at-bats, stealing 1 base, drawing 1 walk, and striking out 10 times. He also entered the NCAA transfer portal that summer and transferred to the University of Central Florida for his senior year. The outfielder started all but two of the Knights’ games and appeared in all 49, hitting .322/.383/.574 with 13 doubles, 1 triple, 12 home runs, 2 stolen bases in 4 attempts, and drew 17 walks to 31 strikeouts, good for a 119 wRC+. His batting average, slugging percentage, double total, and home run totaled second on the team.The 22-year-old Smith is listed at 6’1”, 200-pounds, carrying his mass in his legs and midsection. At the plate, he stands slightly open, crouching a bit with his hands held high, wrapping his bat behind his head almost parallel to the ground. He swings with minimal load and weight transfer, using a toe tap as a timing mechanism. He has a long-levered swing, and thanks to his natural strength as well as the torque in his swing, he can punish baseballs when he barrels them, registering exit velocities over 100 MPH in 2026. Among 2026 college hitters, Smith stands out regarding lifting and pulling the ball. His strikeout numbers don’t necessarily reflect it, but the right-hander is aggressive at the plate, chasing balls down-and-away and expanding the zone. That said, he has enough plate coverage to cover all four quadrants of the strike zone and punish mistakes.Defensively, he has played all three outfield positions over