If you’re an Astros fan, you can’t help but be intrigued by the rise of Cam Smith. Even in spite of the past couple of games, he’s hitting .409 with a 1.291 OPS. The 20-year-old third baseman has been a standout in camp, forcing his way into the conversation for Opening Day. And if this feels familiar, it should. Nearly 34 years ago, a young Jeff Bagwell shocked the baseball world by skipping AAA, tearing up spring training, and switching positions just to make the roster.
The parallels between Smith and Bagwell are striking:
- Skipping AAA – Bagwell never played a game at AAA before his big-league debut. Cam Smith could follow the same path, jumping straight from AA Corpus Christi to Houston. That’s a rare move, but special players make teams rethink their plans. Indeed, Bagwell played more games at AA than Smith, but Smith played at a higher level in college (Florida State), which should offset some of that deficit.
- Spring Standouts – Bagwell wasn’t originally projected to break camp with the team in ’91, but his bat left the front office with no choice. Smith? He’s doing the same thing in 2025, showing poise, power, and plate discipline beyond his years.
- Position Shift to Make the Roster – The Red Sox drafted Bagwell as a third baseman, but the Astros had Caminiti locked in at the hot corner. So, he became a first baseman overnight. I can remember Bagwell playing minor league games in the morning and major league games in the afternoon to prepare for the move. Smith is facing a similar challenge given that Isaac Paredes is seemingly entrenched at 3B. Could a position change be in Smith’s long-term future?
- Making It Impossible to Be Ignored – There’s a difference between a good prospect and one who forces an organization’s hand. Bagwell did it. Smith is doing it now. But will it be enough to make the Opening Day roster?
Is it too early for a Bagwell comparison? Do you see similarities?
Other StrosNotes
- Who Else Has Skipped AAA? Aside from Bagwell, you’ll probably remember that José Altuve made the jump straight from AA Corpus Christi to Houston in 2011. If Smith pulls it off, he’ll be in rare company.
- A Spring Training MVP Doesn’t Guarantee Anything – Remember Preston Tucker? Tyler White? Spring can be deceiving. But Smith’s skill set feels different.
- Bagwell’s Rookie Year vs. A Potential Smith Debut – Bagwell slashed .294/.387/.437 with 15 homers in 1991. If Smith breaks camp with the team, what are reasonable expectations for his rookie year?
- What Would You Do? If you were Dana Brown, would you let Smith bypass AAA? Or play it safe and let him develop for a few months in the minors (and delay starting his clock)?
More Astros Talk: What’s on Your Mind?
- Is the Astros’ Rotation a Strength or a Question Mark? – With Justin Verlander gone and Framber Valdez anchoring the staff just ahead of Hunter Brown, is this rotation still one of the best in baseball? Or do they need reinforcements? What scares you most about the rotation in ’25?
- Forrest Whitley‘s Emergence as a Bullpen Asset – Once the top starting pitching prospect, Forrest Whitley has transitioned to a bullpen role and has impressed during spring training with his relief appearances. Could Whitley become a key contributor in the Astros’ bullpen this season? (NOTE: His knee injury may temporarily put a damper on his effort to make the team out of spring training.)
- Kyle Tucker‘s Departure: Assessing the Impact The Astros traded All Star outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for infielder Isaac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski, and prospect Cam Smith. It’s been a few months since this trade, but how do you feel now after seeing the newbies in action? Will the trade eventually tip to the Astros’ favor?
- Hunter Brown’s Dominant Outing – Pitcher Hunter Brown recently delivered an impressive performance against New York, showcasing his potential to be a significant asset in the rotation. Could Brown be poised for a standout season?
- Manager? Which one of the managers on the Astros’ recent all-time list discussion would you like to see plugged into this year’s team? Me? I love Dierker, but I have to wonder how he and other old-school guys (read: Phil Garner) would handle today’s new technology and players.
- McCullers on the way back…again? Yes, Lance McCullers is working his way back again. He’s started throwing and could be available next week in a live spring training game. This horse has been beaten to death – the conversation I mean – but how do you feel? Should the Astros get him healthy, trade him to get something back? Or ride the horse and try to get something “back” on the field?
ALL THINGS ASTROS 
9 responses to “FREE BLOG WEEKEND: Cam Smith and a flashback to Bagwell”
Good morning! Right field. Second base. Bullpen. I don’t recollect the last time I did not know which 26 guys would be on the roster two weeks prior to Opening Day. But these last two weeks will make or break it for several guys.
Cam Smith. He looks like a major leaguer at the plate so far. The walks especially impress. In a perfect world, he’d be more advanced at third, which would allow Paredes to play second and Zach Dezenzo to go to right, allowing Jake and Chas to once again battle it out for playing time, which will probably be the case regardless. Either way, I hope Zach is one of the 26, but lefty Singleton still might have something to do with that decision even as he has done nothing at the plate so far. With Walker possibly still slowed at first, Jon might catch a break at least to start the season
Rodgers seems to be winning a second base job today, based on his defense and pop. But the other bearded guy is more versatile and pretty slick with the glove and hits from both sides of the plate. Or is it already Dubon’s job? I hope not. He should remain our utility guy.
I won’t even try to guess the pen right now. Forrest has once again ended up in the spotlight. Gosh I really wanted him to just show up and pitch. And keep pitching.
I’m pretty confident with the rotation, assuming good health. And we seem to have a couple of guys in AAA that can step in. I especially like Gusto. One thought. If the Astros want to hold on to Framber, I’d like to see that deal get done now. I suppose I’ve come full circle. One reputable site that I’ve forgotten already has him getting 125 for 5 years. I think I’d probably do that.
Great to see Lance where he is right now. Being optimistic, he could be the answer in a six man rotation. It’s probably more realistic that Wesneski operates as the swing man if indeed McCullers does make it back and is effective.
Joe Espada has a tougher job than he had last year. More moving parts. Will we see an everyday line up at any point this year?
We’re going to have a whole lot to talk about in 2025.
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Good morning! Right field. Second base. Bullpen. I don’t recollect the last time I did not know which 26 guys would be on the roster two weeks prior to Opening Day. But these last two weeks will make or break it for several guys.
Cam Smith. He looks like a major leaguer at the plate so far. The walks especially impress. In a perfect world, he’d be more advanced at third, which would allow Paredes to play second and Zach Dezenzo to go to right, allowing Jake and Chas to once again battle it out for playing time, which will probably be the case regardless. Either way, I hope Zach is one of the 26, but lefty Singleton still might have something to do with that decision even as he has done nothing at the plate so far. With Walker possibly still slowed at first, Jon might catch a break at least to start the season
Rodgers seems to be winning a second base job today, based on his defense and pop. But the other bearded guy is more versatile and pretty slick with the glove and hits from both sides of the plate. Or is it already Dubon’s job? I hope not. He should remain our utility guy.
I won’t even try to guess the pen right now. Forrest has once again ended up in the spotlight. Gosh I really wanted him to just show up and pitch. And keep pitching.
I’m pretty confident with the rotation, assuming good health. And we seem to have a couple of guys in AAA that can step in. I especially like Gusto. One thought. If the Astros want to hold on to Framber, I’d like to see that deal get done now. I suppose I’ve come full circle. One reputable site that I’ve forgotten already has him getting 125 for 5 years. I think I’d probably do that.
Great to see Lance where he is right now. Being optimistic, he could be the answer in a six man rotation. It’s probably more realistic that Wesneski operates as the swing man if indeed McCullers does make it back and is effective.
Joe Espada has a tougher job than he had last year. More moving parts. Will we see an everyday line up at any point this year?
We’re going to have a whole lot to talk about in 2025.
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I would delay stating Cam Smith’s clock for a bit and let him play RF at AAA. Give Dezenzo an opportunity if Chas continues his struggles .
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Lance starts Tuesday night!
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Physically, Cam Smith is ready to play at the MLB level. He only played two years at FSU and has 20PA under his belt at the AA level, though, so I’m thinking tempered expectations are needed. Bagwell is a really good conversation starter – the Red Sox traded him because they had so many people blocking him. Is Cam Smith a better 3B than Dezenzo? What about Parades? We have him under control until 2028. Dubon, Whitcomb, and Rodgers could also play there if needed.
While I want to get on the bandwagon I think you have to consider future plans. If they want Cam Smith back at 3B eventually then send him to Corpus for the first month and see if he forces your hand. If he gets off to a hot start I imagine there will be someone in our outfield you want to replace, unfortunately.
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https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/03/jon-gray-suffers-wrist-fracture.html
I know some “experts” are picking the M’s and the Rangers ahead of the Astros this year – but the Rangers rotation is an accident that is not waiting to happen.
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Cam Smith with a 2 run homer in his first bat today – inside outed the other way!
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Montero “looked” good (watching on Gameday) in the 4th. Groundout, flyout, walk, groundout. He threw 94 mph sliders and 87 mph changeups.
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Zach Dezenzo and Cam Smith need to play five days a week. Can they both make the ML roster? I have not figured out a way.
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