Last spring, Cam Smith was the sensation of the Houston Astros’ training camp.
After playing only 32 minor league games, the former Palm Beach Central High and Florida State standout got manager Joe Espada’s attention right away, hitting two home runs against the New York Mets on Feb. 25. By the time Houston broke camp a month later, Smith was the team leader in homers (4) and RBIs (11) and had a .342 batting average.
The Astros were so impressed that they gave Smith, a career infielder, a trial in the outfield to give him a better shot at making the big league club. Smith passed the audition and opened the season as Houston’s starting right fielder.
A year later, instead of trying to win a job, Smith is fighting to keep one.
“I’ve still got to earn my spot, but I’m ready,” he said during a Feb. 20 visit to Palm Beach Central, where his jersey was retired and he threw out the first pitch before the Broncos’ game against Park Vista.
Astros general manager Dana Brown, in a meeting with reporters in November, made it clear that Smith was not assured of a roster spot after his struggles at the plate in the second half of the 2025 season.
“I would think he comes back and tries to play with more consistency and makes the necessary adjustments,” Brown said. “But we have to be open to sending him back to Triple A if he hasn’t turned the corner.”
That puts Smith under the microscope far more than he was last year, when he came to the Astros as the key player in the trade that sent outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Cubs.
Smith, the 14th overall pick in the MLB draft in 2024, hadn’t played above Double A when he entered camp. With the Astros set in the infield, a ticket to Triple A Sugar Land appeared likely, before he began turning heads.
Even then, Smith’s spot on the opening-day roster wasn’t assured until Espada broke the news to him in front of his teammates — and his parents — two days before the opener. In a moment that went viral, Smith broke down in tears and hugged his mother.
“I think it’s best that you get thrown in the fire and just adjust and adapt as you go,” Smith said. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I think they made the right decision — I know for a fact they did. I’ve learned so much and I can’t wait for this next season.”
Smith, a shortstop at Palm Beach Central and a third baseman at Florida State, played only a week’s worth of games in the outfield before making his MLB debut.
“There was definitely an adjustment period,” he said. “Literally the biggest difference is I’m so far away compared to being at the hot corner. I had to get my eyes used to seeing that far away. The other difference is I really get to run around there and show off my speed a little bit more. I had a lot of fun with it.”
Smith made a smooth defensive transition and got off to a promising start at the plate, but his .765 OPS in the first half of the season gave way to a .489 mark after the All-Star break. His final numbers were substandard for an MLB outfielder: .236 average, nine home runs, 51 RBIs.
“As a whole, I didn’t produce for my people behind me like I wanted to,” Smith said. “But I also had some great moments, some lifetime memories, so it was a dream come true every single day stepping on that field.”
The Astros are a team in flux after missing the playoffs last year, ending a string of eight consecutive appearances that included two World Series titles. Their outfield was one of the least productive in baseball. Left fielder Zach Cole and center fielder Jake Meyers have the inside track on starting jobs, but right field remains up for grabs.
“The veteran guys that have done it, have a track record, they’re penciled in,” Brown said in November. “The other guys, I feel like we have to let it play out, see who comes in hot and see who owns it. There’s a lot to be said for guys that work hard in the offseason and then make the necessary adjustments. We’re hoping that Cam does that. If he does that, we’ll be excited.”
Smith, ever the optimist, said he’s ready to help the Astros get back to the postseason.
“I always want to get better,” he said. “I think that’s my motto — 1% better every day. I’m always striving to reach the top. … We always have that goal of reaching the World Series and winning it all, bringing it back to Houston. We’ve got everything we need.”
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Astros’ Cam Smith returns home for spring training, jersey retired
