How rookie Cam Smith made the Astros believe he's ‘got something special'

New York Times

5 days ago

On Feb. 22, shortly after the start of spring training in West Palm Beach, Fla., Astros manager Joe Espada asked Cam Smith to address his new teammates.
Astros bench coach Omar López recalls the talk vividly. It gave him goosebumps. And it brought back memories of a previous Astros rookie who stunned the team with his poise and eloquence, Carlos Correa.
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The occasion was Smith's 22nd birthday. A little more than two months after the Chicago Cubs sent him to the Astros as the centerpiece of the Kyle Tucker trade. 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 Smith's high school, nearby Palm Beach Central, to talk about the player's path. Smith, in a room full of major-league veterans, did not act nervous. In the words of Astros 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 affiliate. 'And (how) I was excited to play with a bunch of Latin guys here.'
Smith's stepfather, Robert Alvarez, is of Cuban and Puerto Rican descent. He does not speak Spanish, but said he is working to learn the language.
Astros utility man Mauricio Dubón, a native of Honduras, smiled as he recalled his reaction to hearing Smith's eagerness to mix with Latin teammates.
'We have a lot of those,' Dubón thought. 'He's going to fit right in.'
Smith has done just that, in ways that are virtually unprecedented, 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 Alvarez. Smith has even batted cleanup for the first time professionally in nine games, and thrived in that spot.
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Before the season began, Fangraphs projected the Astros, Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners all to win 84-85 games, making the AL West practically a dead heat. With the season more than half-complete, the Astros are on a 97-win pace, and lead the division by 6 1/2 games.
That's despite trading Tucker and reliever Ryan Pressly and losing third baseman Alex Bregman to free agency. Despite placing six starting pitchers on the injured list. Despite playing without Alvarez, their leading slugger, since May 2.
Smith, batting .287 with seven homers and a .786 OPS, 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 Astros' injured starting pitchers, and, in late May, underwent 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 Jose 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 ALCS and World Series MVP, a Gold Glove winner and, for the first time this season, an All-Star.
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Smith, in Altuve's view, possesses similar qualities.
'This is my (15th) season in the big leagues. You start learning about players who come and go,' Altuve said. 'The two of them had something in common when I first saw them. They looked like they would do everything to get better. Work hard. Listen. Show up every day with the same intensity.'
Smith, like Peña, is unrelenting in the way he attacks each day. During spring training, López would get on a treadmill at 5:30 a.m., before his work as a coach began. Smith would enter the gym at 5:45 or so to start his routine, leaving López to wonder, 'Where did this kid come from?'
Recently, a barber was scheduled to visit the Astros' clubhouse at noon CT, more than six hours before a game starting at 6:10. The barber did not show until 12:30. Smith wanted a haircut, but by then was already into his preparation. He skipped the haircut, refusing to deviate from his process.
For a 6:10 game, he will arrive between 11:30 and noon.
'As soon as I come here, I eat,' Smith said. 'They usually have good food here. I'll eat, drink a little water and then go in the weight room right away and warm up.
'I try to get in the cage before anybody else does. As a rookie, you kind of have to get your stuff in before the veteran guys. That's kind of what I prioritize: Get here early, and make sure I'm in the cage before the veteran guys start to step in.'
Like many young hitters, Smith initially struggled to find his offensive footing. Through May 13, he was batting .214 with a .659 OPS. During that period, Espada sat him four times in a span of eight games.
Since then, Smith is batting .326 with an .852 OPS. Working with Alex Cintron, 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.
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The willingness and ability to make such adjustments is 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. 'He's a quick learner. Every little thing the coaches and players tell him to get better, he applies it right away.'
Last Saturday, before a 4:05 p.m. start at Dodger Stadium, Smith peppered one of the Astros' outfield instructors, Jason Bell, with a series of questions.
How differently does the ball fly during the daytime than the night? What would the sun be like in the late afternoon? How should he respond if the ball gets caught underneath the fence?
Cintron takes pride in Smith's offensive progression, but readily acknowledges that Smith's most impressive accomplishment is the way he has taken to the outfield.
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 Smith 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 Smith's play at third, they envisioned him possibly becoming another Manny Machado. Smith, at 6-foot-3 and 224 pounds, is built similar to Machado, and possesses the same type of powerful arm.
The idea of Smith moving to right stemmed from his offensive eruption in the Grapefruit League. Paredes was set to play third, and the Astros knew they might lack in offense in their first year without Tucker and Bregman. Smith, less than a year removed from Florida State, playing an entirely new position, would be part of their solution.
To some, it seemed like a reckless gamble. But it worked.
Another 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's Wilyer Abreu and Athletics' Lawrence Butler. He also ranked third in Defensive Runs Saved, behind the Texas Rangers' Adolis Garcia and Abreu. His sprint speed among right fielders was second only to Arizona's Corbin Carroll.
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'He has the athleticism to be great,' Bell said. 'Now it's just getting his mind to understand the little things.'
And making sure his body handles the rigors of a 162-game season. Smith played in 95 games in 2023 between Florida State and the Cape Cod League. He appeared in 98 last season – 66 at FSU before departing as a draft-eligible sophomore, then 32 at three minor-league levels with the Cubs.
On Tuesday night, Smith played in his 78th major-league game. Espada said he and his staff will monitor Smith for signs of wearing down. Smith, knowing he is only 22, does not seem especially concerned.
'It's just managing your body,' he said. 'Obviously, I'm new to this many games. But we've got the best staff and all the stuff we need in the training room and weight room to keep me on the field. I've got to stay on top of that. If I don't, I won't be playing.'
Smith said he also will lean on veteran teammates for advice. Some rookies are uneasy trying to find their place in a major-league clubhouse. Smith became part of the Astros' fabric right away.
'He gets along with everyone,' Altuve said.
Smith's high school coach, Tony Gullo, said, 'I don't know anyone that dislikes him, honestly.'
He made his first impression on his new teammates in late February, talking to them as if he had known them forever. At times, he looks like he also has been playing forever. But in reality, he's 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.'
(Top photo of Cam Smith:)