Astros Rookie Outfielder Bounces Back at Plate After Early Struggles

For the next few years, the Houston Astros' decision to trade away Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs will be one of the most talked about subjects surrounding the team.

The early returns on the deal have been mixed, but one young star is beginning to find his footing in the Majors and could help this trade look much better: right fielder Cam Smith.

Smith was the centerpiece of the deal after playing just 32 games as a professional. He was the Cubs' No. 14 overall selection in the 2024 MLB draft from the Florida State Seminoles.

He really broke into stardom in spring training, forcing the Astros' hand into getting him onto the Opening Day roster. They moved him to right field for the first time in his career and that was the major concern around him.

How Cam Smith is Turning Things Around at Plate

To many people's surprise, he was a fantastic defensive presence almost immediately, but has taken a while to get going on offense.

Over his first 24 games, he posted a .205/.303/.359 slash line with just three home runs. It felt like when he started the day off well, the game would end up being great. Consistency was just a huge issue.

The hype has started to die down from spring training, which isn't uncommon after a quarter of the season has gone by. With some of the eyes being off of him, though, he has started to turn a corner at the plate.

Over the last 15 days, Smith has posted a .333/.421/.424 slash line. He hasn't hit a home run in over a month and is still striking out a good bit, but everything else has looked much better.

One big change is that he has already drawn as many walks as he did in all of April.

During Monday's game, the 22-year-old drilled a RBI double that came off the bat at 112.8 mph. Per MLB.com's Brian Murphy, that was over full two MPH faster than his previous high.