Cam Smith’s underrated trait has allowed him to thrive in the Astros outfield

Houston Astros rookie left fielder Cam Smith has been an early standout for the team and is seemingly already a fan favorite in Houston for his personal story and quick rise to the majors. The 22-year-old burst onto the scene in spring training after being dealt to the Astros in the Kyle Tucker trade and was absolutely on fire from the plate in camp. 

After playing just two years of college baseball at Florida State, Smith was drafted 14th overall by the Cubs and had a strong minor-league stint in single-A and double-A where Smith hit six consecutive home runs to start his professional career before the trade. 

During 2025 spring training, Smith hit .342 with four home runs and 11 RBIs in 43 plate appearances. The top prospect for the Astros was then selected to the opening day roster, where he had his first career hit in his very first at-bat against the Mets.

Since then, Smith has showcased his offensive firepower with productive stretches, such as his two home run night vs the Padres on April 18th. 

Coming into the year after the Tucker trade, it did not seem possible that the Astros would have a solution for right field at the start of the season. While Smith was being developed for RF during spring training, it at first seemed a long shot he would even make the opening roster. 

However, once he was selected, Smith made his debut in right field and which came with a healthy amount of skepticism. Fans did not know exactly what to expect, but over the past month of the season, the Lake Worth, FL native has made playing in the grass feel like home. 

Cam Smith's all-world athleticism has made transitioning to the outfield seamless

With his large frame at 6'3 and 224 pounds, Smith is a tall figure that has since earned him the nickname “aircraft carrier” among others. It certainly has advantages to grab baseballs batted at higher angles and gives him more ground to cover in a shorter amount of time. Even with that big frame, Smith moves around really well and is quite quick with his feet, not just on the base pass with his speed but around the outfield. 

The now right-fielder has been able to make catches and dive out to balls in play that might not seem possible for him to reach initially. Sometimes, Smith does not even have to dive and can just stretch out his glove to make the play. While it will take time for him to even get close to gold glove level like Tucker, the 22-year-old already has a great start and feel to the position. 

Astros manager Joe Espada had been taking Smith out of the game towards the end if the score was close and brought in Chas McCormick, but Espada may not need to do that later on as Smith has already shown remarkable growth. 

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