Ahead of the 2025 season, the Houston Astros acquired Cam Smith from the Chicago Cubs in a trade involving Kyle Tucker. He impressed his new club in spring training and made the team's Opening Day roster.
However, he has struggled in his first year in the big leagues. He has appeared in 113 games this season, hitting .242/.311/.364 with 20 doubles, eight home runs, and 49 runs batted in.
It is certainly a learning year for the young slugger, as this is his debut season. He is starting to learn the ropes on what it takes to be successful in the MLB, and it is not just about physical prowess, via The Houston Chronicle's Matt Kawahara.
"(It's) just the mental side of it, just understanding that I belong here, I have the ability to do what everybody does," said Smith. "Like I said, just got to get out of my own way. When you go through stuff like that, self-doubts start to come in. But you've got to power through that."
Astros' manager impressed with how Cam Smith is handling himself
Manager Joe Espada has been impressed with how well the young slugger has handled himself in the midst of failure. He has no plan to cut his playing time and believes his struggles at the plate will end soon.
"The results haven't been there, but his mindset, it's what has him here and for me to continue to give him opportunity. Because I think he's going to hit."
Smith will be one player that fans will want to keep their eyes on as the regular season dwindles. If he can flip a switch, Houston would be in a great spot for a potential deep postseason run with Yordan Alvarez recently returning.