On July 14th, 2024, the Cubs selected third baseman Cam Smith with the 14th pick in the MLB draft. Just 256 days later, Cam Smith will be making his Major League debut- for the Houston Astros.
In December, the Cubs traded Cam Smith, along with pitcher Hayden Wesneski and third baseman Isaac Parades, to the Astros to acquire superstar Kyle Tucker. Tucker, who only has one year remaining on his current contract, has been one of the game’s best players for several years now. The Astros realized it was beneficial to deal their superstar slugger and the Cubs met the prospect requirements to get a deal done.
But for as much of a feel-good story as Cam Smith is, especially seeing his family announce it in the Astros dugout, we are mischaracterizing an extremely irresponsible move by the Astros as feel-good. One that could potentially hurt the development of the 22-year old.
A historic rise to the Majors
With his rapid ascension, Smith cements himself as the 18th fastest player in Major League history to get called up to the big leagues. While this is certainly an incredible achievement, it could also spell disaster for him and the Astros.
Smith spent just five games as high as Double-A for the Cubs last season. He only played in a total of 32 professional games before he made a major league roster. While his offense was superb in the lower level of the minors, it’s impossible to know if that was his ability or the lack of quality pitching at the Single-A-level.
A dominate Spring Training
Optimists will point to his dominant spring as a sign that he is ready for the Majors. Sure, his .342/.419/.711 slashline for a 1.130 OPS is more than impressive, but its important to remember he isn’t always facing major league-caliber pitching in these at-bats. Additionally, it’s impossible to gauge his defensive ability without the context of advanced analytics exclusively available in the regular season.
By making Houston’s Roster, he may become their starting right fielder from day one, a twist of irony as he would be the immediate replacement for Kyle Tukcker. It’s also important to remember that Cam Smith has played zero professional games as an outfielder up until this point. Smith was the designated hitter in eight of his 32 games thus far as a professional. That means he has just had 24 games of professional fielding experience before getting called up to the big leagues.
The overwhelming likelihood in this scenario is that Cam Smith gets everyday at-bats with the Astros and struggles mightily. In addition, it’s hard to imagine his defense being even average in the big leagues. Considering he’s playing a position he’s never played while competing at the highest level of baseball in the world. Its possible that any slow start or a prolonged slump to begin his career could hurt him mentally as well.
The infamous saying says that “Baseball is 90% mental.” If that’s the case, this kid will need some real mental fortitude to get through these interesting circumstances.
Cam Smith is a talented player, and I genuinely hope he excels in his major league career. But this decision by the Astros jeopardizes his future progression and reeks of desperation.
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