The 14th overall pick, Cam Smith, made quite the splash this season- enough to lock in a starting position again in 2026. Smith was drafted in June of 2024 by the Chicago Cubs as a first-round pick in July of 2024, and was ultimately traded to the Houston Astros that December. 

Smith joined Houston just nine months after starting in the minors- a timeline that almost never happens. Typical rookies need 2-3 years of polishing before graduating to the MLB. Despite his short tenure in the minor league, Smith made the Astros’ Opening Day roster for the 2025 season and played in 132 games.

Luck had nothing to do with Smith’s almost unprecedented climb. In his last year at Florida in 2024, Smith recorded an elite batting average of .387. and was one of the best hitters in the ACC when he transitioned to the minors. 

His junior, and final, year Smith posted a whopping 16 home runs and an OPS of 1.106- superstar stats. Most MLB All-Stars average around .900. At 6 '3 and 220 pounds, he’s the perfect size for an outfielder, and scouts referred to him as “college polished”.

Smith is already racking up accolades- the 22-year-old is now a finalist for a 2025 AL Gold Glove Award for right field, and if he gets it, he’ll make franchise history as the first rookie outfielder from the Astros to be recognized- and potentially the first right fielder rookie recipient in the MLB, period. 

For the 2025 season with the Astros, though, Smith’s offensive stats were solid but pretty average for a rookie, which should be expected for a batter essentially jumping from college to the pros. He recorded 9 home runs, .236 batting average, and .670 OPS, per baseball-reference.  

Compared to an elite rookie like Seattle’s Julio Rodríguez who posted 28 home runs, a .284 batting average, and an OPS of .853 in his debut, per StatMuse, he doesn’t look so impressive. However, Rodríguez had four years of development before transitioning to the MLB.

Smith’s defense, however, was elite this season at a 0.992 fielding percentage, according to baseball-reference, and +6 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS)- well above average and surpassing that of Rodríguez’s rookie stats. He led all of the Astros’ outfielders- incredible for a career third baseman playing in the outfield for the first time. A rookie with much more time to polish his skills hovers around the 0 to +2 mark for DRS. 

Fans will be looking to the young starter to lead the outfield next season and grow under veteran Utility player Mauricio Dubón, both up for 2025 Gold Gloves finalists for their defensive work. If Smith finds his footing on the plate, Smith may just be the reason the Astros don’t miss the playoffs again next year.