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The Houston Astros decision to trade Kyle Tucker this past offseason was met with skepticism, and rightfully so. It's not every day an organization trades away a perennial All-Star and potential MVP. But Houston didn't receive a bag of peanuts in return. In fact, Cam Smith — the cornerstone of this winter's trade with the Chicago Cubs — made a statement on Friday night against his former team, and Astros fans have to be feeling good about the direction of their franchise at the moment.
Smith went 2-for-2 against the Cubs — the team that drafted him in 2024 — with a single and a home run. The rookie, who amazingly broke camp with the Astros this past spring, has been making some noise of late. After a slow-start to his Major League career, Smith is hitting .309/.364/.481 with a 141 wRC+ during the month of June.
Smith was not only the key piece of the return for Tucker this past offseason, but he's since supplanted the three-time All-Star in right field. It's difficult to believe that the Astros had this in mind when they traded for Smith back in December, but it's just the latest in a long run of good fortune for Houston this season.
Astros run of luck continues as Kyle Tucker trade burns Cubs in first matchup
The Astros are having yet another improbably run this season. After trading away Tucker and Ryan Pressly, losing Alex Bregman to the Boston Red Sox, and entering the year with half their starting rotation on the IL, somehow Houston is still king of the AL West. But it goes even deeper than that.
The Astros have been playing without their top bat — Yordan Álvarez — since May 2. Houston's slugging DH has been sidelined with a hand injury, and yet, the Astros are still 6 ½ games clear of their closest competitor in the AL West.
Houston has also moved former AL MVP Jose Altuve to left field, lost Spencer Arrighetti, Ronel Blanco, Hayden Wesneski, and Lance McCullers Jr. to the IL, and are running out three rookies in the starting rotation. Oh yeah, and they have no left-handed hitters to speak of on the roster, and somehow just keep racking up Ws.
What the Astros are doing this season is nothing short of remarkable, and it's a testament to the ownership, front office, coaching staff, and the players on the field. Smith's revenge performance against the Cubs on Friday was just the latest in a long line of fortunate events that have marked the Astrosseason, and fans can't wait to see what's next.