Astros' 23-year-old 'athlete' in top-tier category with Julio Rodriguez, Bobby Witt Jr.

Anytime a player's name falls directly near Julio Rodriguez and or Bobby Witt Jr.'s on a Major League leaderboard list, that's probably a good sign. 

The Athletic's Eno Sarris predicts that Houston Astros right fielder Cam Smith will have a breakout season and noted that the 23-year-old's bat speed and time to first base are very impressive. 

"It’s good to be on a list of pre-peak players who run fast and hit fast, and Smith is in the top third of the league in both," Sarris wrote Friday. 

Smith's swing speed is 0.2 mph faster on average than Witt's. However, the Kansas City Royals superstar has the youngster beat by 0.21 seconds on time to first base. Rodriguez's bat speed (76.4) is nearly two mph faster than Smith's (74.5). 

Smith must work on swing decisions 

One of the only things that's holding Smith back as a player is his swing decisions in the batter's box. The former 14th overall pick had an elevated 27.8% strikeout rate in 493 trips to the plate in his first taste of big league action. 

Remember, this is not a player with hundreds of minor league at-bats before making his debut. Smith flashed good power to the gaps in 2025, though, roping 21 doubles. 

"The biggest thing that Smith needs, though, is time and reps. He famously only had 134 plate appearances in the minors before coming up last season, and then only 493 in the majors last year," Sarris added. "At some point, the approach is going to click, and Smith will likely be a great player with power, speed, and defense. Maybe this year is too soon, but we’re trying to keep it bold here." 

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