Astros are seeing ‘something special’ in rookie Cam Smith

When Cam Smith addressed his new Houston teammates shortly after the start of spring training in February, it brought back memories of an Astros rookie who once stunned the team with his poise and eloquence, Carlos Correa. (Instagram via mlbpipeline)

By Ken Rosenthal / The Athletic

In February, shortly after the start of spring training in West Palm Beach, Florida, Joe Espada, the manager of the Houston Astros, asked Cam Smith to address his new teammates.

Omar López, the bench coach, recalled the talk vividly. It gave him goose bumps. And it brought back memories of an Astros rookie who once stunned the team with his poise and eloquence, Carlos Correa.

The occasion was Smith’s 22nd birthday. It was a little more than two months after the Chicago Cubs sent him to the Astros as the centerpiece of the Kyle Tucker trade and a little more than seven months after the Cubs drafted him No. 14 overall out of Florida State.

Espada surprised Smith by inviting Scott Benedict, an assistant baseball coach at nearby Palm Beach Central High School, where Smith played, to talk about the player’s path. Smith, in a room full of major league veterans, did not act nervous. In the words of first baseman Christian Walker, “He wasn’t trying to be a tough guy or put up a front.”

When Smith spoke, he was sincere.

“I just talked about how I had the best time playing in Low-A ball because it was all Latin players,” Smith said, recalling his 15 games last season with the Cubs’ Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, affiliate.

Mauricio Dubón, a utility player from Honduras, smiled as he recalled his reaction to hearing Smith’s eagerness to mix with his Latin teammates.

“We have a lot of those,” Dubón said. “He’s going to fit right in.”

Smith has done just that, in ways that are almost unimaginable.

Jacob Wilson, the Athletics’ All-Star shortstop, is the early front-runner for American League Rookie of the Year. Smith, however, is excelling while facing a greater degree of difficulty.

He played only 32 games in the minor leagues. He learned right field in the final two weeks of spring training. After some initial struggles offensively, he has moved from the bottom of the order to the top while the Astros await the return of Yordan Álvarez. Smith has even batted cleanup for the first time professionally in nine games and thrived in that spot.

Before the season began, Fangraphs projected the Astros, Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners to win 84 to 85 games, making the AL West practically a dead heat. Nearing the All-Star break, the Astros are on a 96-win pace with a comfortable lead in their division.

That’s despite trading Tucker and reliever Ryan Pressly, losing third baseman Alex Bregman to free agency, placing six starting pitchers on the injured list and playing without Alvarez, their leading slugger, since May 2.

Smith, batting .286 with seven homers and a .779 on-base plus slugging percentage, is a big reason the Astros’ offense remains above average. So is another player general manager Dana Brown acquired for Tucker, third baseman Isaac Paredes. (The third player in the deal, right-hander Hayden Wesneski, is one of the injured starting pitchers; in May, he had Tommy John surgery.)

To Espada, Smith’s emergence began the day he spoke to the club.

“It’s a clubhouse full of veteran guys, winners, MVPs, batting champions, Silver Sluggers,” Espada said. “It can be a very intimidating room for anyone.

“It was not exactly what he said, but the way that he said it. You could see how genuine he was. His humility. His confidence. His presence. You could just tell this kid was going to be a star, based on watching the eyes of the crowd that he was talking to.

“I’m like, ‘OK, we’ve got something special.’”

In the spring of 2022, longtime Astros star José Altuve offered a surprising assessment of Jeremy Peña, the rookie shortstop who was replacing Correa.

“He’s going to be a superstar,” Altuve said. “I can tell by his attitude. He cares. He wants to be the best.”

Altuve’s scouting report proved largely accurate. Peña became the 2022 American League Championship Series and World Series Most Valuable Player, a Gold Glove winner and, for the first time this season, an All-Star.

Smith, in Altuve’s view, has similar qualities.

“The two of them had something in common when I first saw them,” Altuve said. “They looked like they would do everything to get better. Work hard. Listen. Show up every day with the same intensity.”

Like many young hitters, Smith initially struggled to find his offensive footing. Working with Alex Cintrón, one of the Astros’ hitting coaches, he opened his stance so he could better see the pitcher but still made sure to land with his front foot closed. He also became less upright and raised his back elbow to hold the bat at more of an angle. By minimizing his load, he could let his hands work.

The willingness and ability to make such adjustments are why Altuve believes Smith will be the team’s next superstar.

“It’s not the talent he has, it’s that he wants to learn,” Altuve said.

Until spring training, Smith had never played right field. He was a shortstop in high school, a third baseman at Florida State. His only experience in the outfield was three summer league starts in left as a college sophomore.

The Astros’ initial plan was to play him at third base in spring training, then transition him to both corner outfield spots once he settled at a minor league affiliate. The team’s coaches were so encouraged by his play at third, they envisioned him possibly becoming another Manny Machado. Smith, at 6 feet 3 inches and 224 pounds, also has a powerful arm.

One of the Astros’ outfield instructors, Dave Clark, said the coaches initially told Smith to just be an athlete and catch the ball, that over time they would teach him the nuances of the position. Smith adjusted so quickly, Clark now says he has a chance to win a Gold Glove.

The defensive metrics support Clark’s claim. Among AL right fielders, Smith entered Tuesday tied with Aaron Judge for third in outs above average, within striking distance of the co-leaders, the Boston Red Sox’ Wilyer Abreu and the Athletics’ Lawrence Butler. He also ranked third in defensive runs saved, behind the Texas Rangers’ Adolis García and Abreu. His sprint speed among right fielders was second only to Arizona’s Corbin Carroll.

Smith said he would lean on veteran teammates for advice. Some rookies are uneasy trying to find their place in a major league clubhouse. Smith made his first impression on his new teammates in February, talking to them as if he had known them forever. At times, he looks like he has also been playing forever. But he is just getting started.

“He hasn’t figured it out yet. It’s just raw talent taking over,” Dubón said. “When he figures it out, he’s probably going to be one of the best players in the game.”