Former FSU baseball standout Cam Smith has started to figure things out in the majors after a slow start.
The former No. 14 overall draft pick in the 2024 MLB Draft got a hit in his first major league at-bat, but the production slowed to a crawl shortly afterward.
Smith was batting .213 on April 30th, with a .297 on-base percentage. However, he's finally started to find his stride. He batted .307 and had an on-base percentage of .388 in May.
He caught fire in particular over the past 15 games, batting .346 with an on-base percentage of .414 and a .462 slugging percentage.
The power numbers aren't there yet, but he's starting to make more consistent contact at the plate. Smith had eight games with two or more strikeouts between March and April (23 games) and only had five games with two or more strikeouts in May (22 games).
His overall batting average is up to .260, and the on-base percentage has climbed to .347.
I know folks probably expect more from a former top-15 selection in the first round, but Cam Smith was playing at Florida State this time last season and only played in 32 games (134 at-bats) in the minor leagues.
It normally takes much longer for guys to make a Major League roster, much less start games. FSU baseball standout James Tibbs III is a prime example. He got selected one pick before Smith at No. 13, and he's still playing in High-A ball in the minors.
That's no disrespect to James Tibbs, but a hat tip to how fast Cam Smith made it to the majors and is sticking. I only expect Smith to continue improving as he gains more experience and confidence, and it's good to see the Houston Astros have allowed him to go through those growing pains early in the season.