Astros Facing Difficult Decision With Cam Smith

Let’s be clear on one thing: Smith isn’t a bad player. He proved himself in many ways during his rookie campaign. Yes, he wasn’t the best outfielder — or even the best rookie outfielder — in the league last season, but he showed flashes of brilliance that got fans excited for what was to come. The only problem is that the potential hasn’t come to fruition so far during his sophomore stint. In fact, he’s actively regressed.

In what’s an admittedly small sample size of just 40 games, Smith is slashing .212/.299/.343 in 2026. All those figures are worse than his 2025 numbers, signaling that something is wrong. The obvious solution is that MLB arms have figured out Smith, and he has no answer. If that’s the case, then alarm bells are certainly going to be ringing soon, if they aren’t already.

So, what can the Astros do to get Smith on the right track? While it might not be the most popular solution, Houston and its front office — led by Dana Brown — need to admit they made a mistake and send Smith down to Triple-A to fine-tune some things.

Whether it’s just for a couple of days or a couple of months, it’s clear that his swing needs some adjusting, and it wouldn’t hurt to go down to the minors where the stakes are low and build up some confidence. Then, when everything is good and right, Smith can return to the Astros and contribute in the way he’s meant to.

It’s temporary pain for permanent gain. Yes, the Astros admitting they were wrong by calling him up when they did would be hard to do, but it’s for the betterment of the club and the player.

At the end of the day, the Astros still believe Smith can become a cornerstone piece for the future. Nothing that’s happened over the last year changes that. But prospects don’t always develop in a straight line, and sometimes the best thing a team can do is take a step backward in order to move two steps forward later on.