Houston Astros' Top Prospect, Acquired in Kyle Tucker Trade, Dazzles Hometown Crowd

Local product Cam Smith hit two home runs in his first two official spring training at-bats in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Houston Astros infielder Cam Smith rounds second base in the ninth inning against the Washington Nationals at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Feb. 22, 2025. / Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

This time last year, Cam Smith was swinging the bat for Florida State.

On Tuesday, in West Palm Beach, Fla., Smith showed why he was the No. 14 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft and the centerpiece of the return the Houston Astros got when they traded outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs over the winter.

Smith, the No. 59-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline but No. 1 in the Astros farm system, hit two opposite-field home runs in an 8-5 win against the New York Mets. The two round-trippers came in his first two official spring training at-bats.

The first home run came in the sixth inning off New York’s Austin Warren, a two-run shot. He added a solo home run in the eighth inning off Connor Overton.

Cam Smith sends one out in his first at-bat of Spring Training!

The @Astros' No. 1 prospect, who was acquired from the Cubs in the deal for Kyle Tucker, was taken in No. 14 overall in last year's Draft. pic.twitter.com/PecmeKZ60d

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) February 25, 2025

It was big stuff for the kid who went to high school at Palm Beach Central in Wellington, just 12 miles from the Astros’ spring training home at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches.

“I can’t even describe it, but it feels like the best feeling in the world,” Smith, 22, said, per MLB.com. “It’s a blessing just to get opportunities to get in there, whether you’re starting the game, whether you’re getting the back-half of the game. To see that caliber of pitching this year, it’s huge as a ballplayer.”

The fact that he had family in the stands made it even more special. That family helped him in his shift from college to the Cubs farm system and then through the trade.

“I’m living with my parents, so this transition is not easy, but a lot easier than it would have been going to another team,” he said. “That helped out a lot. These guys welcomed me with open arms. There’s no bad blood. You’re family now. It’s good energy around me. It made it easier.”

Smith got his feet wet in the minors in the Cubs system in 2024, appearing in 32 games between three levels and playing five games with Double-A Tennessee. Overall, the third baseman hit .313 with seven home runs and 24 RBIs.

The Astros likely had him pegged to start the season at Double-A Corpus Christi, but if he continues to hit like he did against the Mets, that all could change.

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