Smith graduated from Saline High School as a four-year letter winner and part of four-straight district Championship teams. He committed to the University of Kentucky, and when he arrived, he was still recovering from Tommy John Surgery. Smith was a Wildcat for a couple of years and, after the 2017 season, wound up transferring to Grand Valley State. The southpaw was a Laker for one season, suiting up for eight games where he worked through 24 innings; in those frames, he struck out 25 batters and only surrendered three earned runs.   

At 21, the Texas Rangers sent his name to be called in the 2018 MLB draft. He would have to wait until 2019 to make his professional debut; in that season, he finished with a 2.91 ERA in 20 games. The 27-year-old was called from the bullpen in 83 games, going for 119.1 innings and striking out 111, and his earned run average was 2.87 in his four seasons with the Rangers.