In 2025, Cam Smith broke into the Houston Astros lineup at 22 years old and cemented his spot as a potential building piece for an organization that is looking for some young outfielders to grab a starting spot and run with it.
That's what Smith did, playing in 134 games. He slashed .236/.312/.358 with nine home runs and 51 runs driven in. He had 21 doubles and three triples as part of his 104 hits. Those numbers are not going to jump off the screen at you, but for a team looking for a youth injection.
Smith came back and despite taking a small step back in his numbers, his impact was just as big both in the field and at the plate. After the Astros' season came to an abrupt end in the American League wild-card round at the hands of the Chicago White Sox a couple of weeks ago, Houston parted ways with manager Joe Espada on Wednesday. Whoever the next manager is , he'll have a key young outfielder to build around: Smith.
Houston Astros outfielder Cam Smith Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently listed each MLB team's best players under 25 and Smith was named Houston's top young player. That shouldn't be surprising given the fact that the Astros have a rather veteran roster that could soon be undergoing some changes to get younger. When they do, Smith being a building block in the outfield is a no-brainer.
"With 139 starts in right field, Smith was the one constant in an otherwise unstable Houston outfield. His 88 OPS+ in 1,061 plate appearances over the last two seasons raises questions about whether he was rushed to the majors,'' wrote Reuter.
Reuter makes a valid point about whether or not Smith was rushed to the majors, but his numbers did drop in 2026 from 2025, and that is something you expect from a young player. It's part of a growing process in the majors, and the experience is something that is going to pay off over time.
Smith slashed .210/.279/.390 in 2026 with 21 home runs and 56 RBIs. His doubles dropped by four from the previous season to 17, but he doubled his triples to six. He struck out 148 times, which is certainly something he needs to cut down on moving forward.
There are a lot of questions facing the new Astros decision-makers this offseason. One of them is how to add a veteran to the outfield who can produce at the plate. Smith is going to be a key piece of the lineup, but expecting him to have his stats to improve and make a huge jump might be a little unrealistic, but one thing is for sure, though: he's not too far from having that happen. When it does, it'll be big for Houston.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/astros/onsi as Astros' Outfielder Cam Smith Gets Label That Should Be Unsurprising To Fans .
