Astros Claim to One of Major League Baseball’s Top Prospect May Soon End

In the eyes of Major League Baseball, Houston Astros outfielder Cam Smith is a rookie. In the eyes of talent evaluators, he’s a prospect.

Only one of those statuses will continue in the coming weeks.

Baseball America recently released its first top 100 prospect update of the season and Smith remained steady at No. 24.

After making the opening-day roster and getting consistent playing time in right field, it would appear as if his time as a top prospect could come to an end as early as the site’s June update.

When Will Cam Smith No Longer Be a Prospect?

In the eyes of sites like Baseball America, a prospect is a player that hasn’t played in the Majors yet. That was Smith last year after he was drafted in the first round by the Chicago Cubs.

Once a player is promoted to the Majors, their service clock starts — but so does their prospect clock. Players like Smith, who are in the Majors but are considered Top 100 prospects, remains prospects so long as they have not exceeded 130 MLB at-bats, 50 innings pitched or 30 pitching appearances.

Entering Friday’s action against Cincinnati, Smith has 85 at-bats. Once he crossed 130, he’ll no longer be considered a prospect – just a rookie.

Smith enters the Reds series with a slash of .212/.302/.365 with three home runs and 15 RBI. The first six weeks of the season have been filled with struggles, but the Astros have continued to play him most days, given his incredible talent.

Baseball America’s rankings reflect a player’s early production, their own in-person scouting and conversations with MLB scouts, coaches, analysts and front office officials.

When Smith joined the Cubs out of Florida State, he immediately took their system by storm.

He played 32 games in the minors last year Chicago and slashed .313/.396/.609 with seven home runs and 24 RBI.

He was a third baseman, but his path to joining the Majors was blocked by another first-round pick, Matt Shaw, who has made his MLB debut earlier this year.

Smith joined the Astros in December as part of one of the biggest trades of the offseason. Smith, third baseman Isaac Paredes and pitcher Hayden Wesneski were dealt by the Chicago Cubs for outfielder Kyle Tucker.

Houston moved Smith from the infield to the outfield, as Paredes started at third base for the departed Alex Bregman.

For now, the Astros remained committed to having Smith in the outfield. As that commitment continues, graduation day will be coming soon for the 22-year-old.