While the Houston Astros have a lot of veteran talent on the team, the outfield is much younger in general. A key part of the Astros’ future is Cam Smith. The young 23-year-old right fielder burst onto the scene last season and immediately took over that spot in the starting lineup. Even with hardly any experience, Smith showed regular glimpses of brilliance as one of the faces of Houston’s future.
Smith was acquired as part of the Kyle Tucker trade to the Chicago Cubs, and the Astros got third baseman Isaac Paredes and right-hander Hayden Wesneski as well. Smith was arguably the main piece of the trade as the Cubs’ top prospect and a talented young player who could become a cornerstone for the Astros.
The 2025 Cam Smith Experience
Even with no outfield experience as a natural third baseman, Smith was shifted over to right field during his first spring training with the Astros and shined. The Astros were so impressed that they put him in the 2025 Opening Day lineup in right field for his MLB debut.
The 14th overall pick in the 2024 draft had some excellent at-bats at the start of his MLB career and showed incredible power. Once he cooled down following his hot start, Smith showed the normal struggles you’d expect from a rookie. He went into a long slump during the latter half of the season and struggled with strikeouts, among other areas on offense. Smith played in 134 games last season and hit for a .236 AVG and .670 OPS along with nine home runs and 51 RBI. He struck out 137 times.
It was completely expected, knowing Smith was playing college baseball at Florida State in late 2024. His glove in right field continued to be great, so much so that Smith was remarkably named a finalist for the Gold Glove Award.
How Smith’s 2026 Season Has Gone
The expectation for Smith this season was for him to improve with the bat and take another step forward. While his glove remains elite in right field, where he’ll probably be a true Gold Glove candidate, his offense remains a work in progress to say the least.
There has been some clamoring from Astros fans for Smith to be sent down to Triple-A Sugar Land for a bit to work on his mechanics and get back on track. The struggles and low numbers across the board pushed that narrative, but it seems like the Astros are certain about Smith being on the big league team and figuring it out.
There were mighty struggles with the bat, but that looks to be slowly turning around. The season has been a work in progress, but improvement is still being made. He’s shown up in some big moments. The Astros seem to want him to grow while at the MLB level and get more experience.
The #Astros Cam Smith is now ranked 50th in MLB in xSLG at .465
He’s sitting at 79th in xwOBA at .342
He turned 23 in late February. 📈 https://t.co/ByUitQrg0i pic.twitter.com/WUioKWH3dN
— Don Dougan (@don_dougan) June 30, 2026
The Numbers on Cam Smith
During a 26-game period from the middle of May through June, Smith is hitting for a .256 average along with a .757 OPS. He has three home runs and nine RBI with 23 total hits. Nine of those were extra-base hits while he struck out 24 times. That included a six-game hit streak and hits in nine out of 10 games towards the end of May. He now has a .755 OPS in his last 15 games, along with 12 hits, four homers, six RBI, and a .500 slugging percentage, amid a stretch where the Astros are turning their season around.
Smith crushed a 457-foot bomb in Globe Life Field while also hitting the clutch go-ahead two-RBI triple with two outs in the bottom of the eighth against the Pittsburgh Pirates in one of the best comebacks of the season. Smith just had a two-homer game against the Minnesota Twins.
Somebody check on that baseball! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/64SRvkFb8O
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 30, 2026
He came up clutch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the ninth inning. He also hit a game-tying homer against the Los Angeles Angels. Smith’s overall numbers aren’t too impressive with a .222 AVG and .685 OPS along with 11 homers and 32 RBI. He also has 81 strikeouts in 85 games. On the bases, however, he’s already passed last season’s total of eight steals with nine currently.
Smith Still Deserves Belief
Smith’s power is impressive; unfortunately, luck wasn’t going his way. Smith has an expected slugging percentage (xSLG) of .465. Compare that to his actual mark of .387. It’s the fifth-largest difference in the AL of -0.78.
Given what looks to be a long-term injury to LaMonte Wade Jr., Smith’s spot looks to be permanent right now alongside an outfield that features Jake Meyers, Joey Loperfido, and Taylor Trammell. If there were more higher-level options for the Astros in the outfield, it’s likely Smith wouldn’t see much time.
The 6-foot-3, 224-pound Smith has all the physical tools with speed, power, and a strong arm. The hitting just has to continue to improve.
Main Photo Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
