Right now, it’s interesting watching Astros rookie right fielder Cam Smith go through his routine from day to day.
Some days before games, he is out there in batting practice, the next day he might be out there working on fielding. And then there are days he hangs out in the clubhouse a little bit longer. Smith is just trying to figure out what works best for him.
“Trying to learn a routine to get ready for the game,” Smith said in a recent conversation with the Defender. “I’m kind of trying a lot of things just because I’m new to it. So, trying to come up with a warm-up routine and pre-game routine has been the toughest part, just because I want to try so many things and not everything works. But my job is to obviously lock that in.”
Whatever he is doing or not doing, the youngster is clearly doing the right things in the eyes of most. Smith, who came over as a prospect from the Chicago Cubs in the Kyle Tucker trade last December, has been a standout amongst standouts during the Astros’ impressive first half of the season.
You hear superlatives being thrown out like the Astros’ next star player or superstar in the making after the numbers Smith is putting up during his first experience in the majors. Going into the All-Star break, the 22-year-old is hitting .277, has seven home runs, 39 RBI and 81 hits.
Those aren’t normal numbers for a kid seeing major league pitchers for the first time.
“He’s getting better and better every day,” said Astros veteran Jose Altuve. “You’re talking about a guy who got drafted last year, but not a lot of days in the minor leagues and he has worked his way here. He’s going to be a superstar, so I’m happy for him, and he is definitely helping the team.”
What’s probably been most impressive has been how well Smith is playing while making the transition he made during spring training. Smith, a first-round pick (14th overall) out of Florida State in 2024, came over in the trade as a third baseman. But after seeing how polished he was during spring training, manager Joe Espada and general manager Dana Brown wanted to find a way to get him on the big-league roster for the start of the season. So he was moved from his natural third base to Tucker’s old spot in right field.
Wouldn’t you know he caught on fast and won the Opening Day job.
“Ultimately, we thought this guy is a very good athlete,” Brown said on MLB TV. “We knew we were putting him at a position that he had never played before, but he’s got a good head on his shoulders. He is a really good athlete, he has a great feel for the game and he’s really taken well to right field. He’s an above-average-to-plus right fielder and the bat is really starting to come, so we are excited about him.”
We’ve witnessed Smith’s beyond-his-years feel for the game during this early part of the season, especially in June when he was a key part of the Astros’ amazing run. He didn’t miss showing the Cubs’ error in trading him when Tucker came back to Daikin Park for the first time in late June and Smith happily showed him up. Smith had the three-run homer in the fourth inning and reached base all four times he was up at bat.
But instead of settling scores, Smith is more focused on contributing to the Astros’ success. The Astros went into the All-Star break with a five-game lead over Seattle in the AL West and the second-best record in the American League.
“It’s really fun. It’s really fun baseball, obviously,” Smith said. “This is the Astros, and it’s winning baseball and I’m happy to be a part of it.”
As much early success as Smith has had, you can still see him being like a sponge, whether in the dugout or during batting practice, soaking up the knowledge of the older players. He credits his teammates for his early success.
“Just leaning on veteran guys, talking to them as much as I can through any situation,” Smith said. “If I have any questions, I’m going to lean on somebody. I think each and every one of these guys is some form of a leader, for me at least.
“I can talk to them whenever I want, so that’s been a huge help for me.”
Smith says his mindset right now is to just keep growing daily.
“Learn as much as I can. I want to take away at least one thing from each game,” Smith said. “I think that’s how you get better each and every day. So just taking one thing away from every game.”
