February 19, 2025 • 8 mins
Astros top prospect Cam Smith joined "The Matt Thomas Show with Ross" for the second day of full-squad workouts at spring training in West Palm Beach, Florida. Houston acquired Smith along with third baseman Isaac Paredes and pitcher Hayden Wesneski in a trade that sent outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs. The 2024 first-round pick has recorded seven homers and 24 RBI in his 32 games in the minor leagues. Smith talked about getting drafted from Florida State, working at third base and in right field, taking pride in his defensive abilities and more.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Astro top phenom future third base slash, left field slash
wherever you want to play. Cam Smith is with us
on the program, lake Worth, Florida.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Is that correct?
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Yes, sir?
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Twenty five minutes from here, twenty five minutes. Mom and
dad cook a good meal for you.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
That's right, every night, every night. And I'm helping her
out too, So I'm learning.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Okay, So here's a chef, here's the big he gets
to keep all his travel money for the spring training.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Put in the piggy bang. Say that out him immediately.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Respect that, you know, is just the truth, since you'd
be like, Matt, don't.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Tell anybody this.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
It's true, No, it's true. I like, it's very nice.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
All right, I've been asking all these guys.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
You get the phone call, Yeah, you're going to play
for the Houston Astros.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
What was your initial reaction?
Speaker 1 (00:48):
And then how long did it settling before you're leaving
that the Cubs organization to come play for the Houston Astros.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Yes, at first I was. I was definitely shook a
little bit. I didn't honestly, I didn't know it was
possible that that you could trade up player right after
you draft them. But like I was like, I was
talking to them. It's a business. And and once I
got that call from Carda Hawkins telling me the trade happened,
Dana Brown called me and welcomed me. And and after that,
everybody else in the front office called me and welcomed me.
(01:16):
So it felt good that that I was welcome with
open arms, for sure. You know, it felt it felt warming.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
It's kind of crazy, you know, that first round of
the draft, they try to make it like the NFL
and NBA Draft.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
They take pictures of you. We're in the Cubs gear and.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
All this can't wait to see you, and then months
later you're wearing somebody else's gear, right exactly. Yeah, Well,
I mean think about who you got traded for. I mean,
you didn't get traded for chopped liver, right, so that's great. Yeah,
and then immediately you're the number one prospect in the organization.
That's gotta mean you worked your ass off for that.
So take us through your life, because y'alls, you're built
like a linebacker. You and Decenzo could be ends on
(01:50):
the Houston Texas that had zero issue with that, right Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
No, Dezenzo is huge, man, He's a he's a different animal.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Have you guys arm wrestled yet? No?
Speaker 1 (01:59):
No, I don't plan on doing. And I think he
got me you two arm wrestling. We'll do that after,
but I don't want him to break my arm. They're
not very strong, you know what of them are?
Speaker 3 (02:10):
All? Right?
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Shoot, the organization will be good, that's true. You give
me a cut, Cay, you got good money coming your way.
I know where I can find you easy money. That's right.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Okay, So, uh, tell us what Joe's told you so far,
what Dana has, and what are your frankly expectations coming
into camp this year.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Yeah, So, talking to Dana early on when I got
here for the January camp, he mentioned right field to
me and just taking reps there because he wants me
to see how I move and how comfortable I am
over there, because obviously there needs there's some holes that
need to be filled. Right Talking to Joe, he he
likes me at third base, that's why, Ben, he said,
that's where I'm comfortable and he'd like to see me
at third as well. So I'm gonna I'm probably gonna
(02:48):
do a mix of both, you know, just to see
what I can do at both positions.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
We won't tell him, but were you most comfortable third base?
Speaker 3 (02:55):
For sure? I've always been a short stop my whole life.
Got to college in twenty two and became a third baseman,
but I've always been an infielder always.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Who did you grow up watching? Learning the sport from man?
Speaker 3 (03:08):
I watched a ton of a ton of players, But
my favorite player growing up was Yasiel Puigue. Really interesting, Yeah,
my all time favorite.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
What made him the guy?
Speaker 3 (03:18):
He was just ahead of his game. He was he
was electric. I love the energy he brought. He was
just swaggy, smooth like. I just loved watching him play. Man.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
You gonna h so you're gonna pimp some home runs
like yas Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
I actually practiced it when I was young, to to
do what he does and try to swing like he does.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Are you a bat flipper guy or a bat drop guy?
Speaker 3 (03:38):
I would say drop there, Yeah, I would say drop.
I like to like the slow drop. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:43):
So you're here now, obviously you've had these conversations, uh,
pressure for for somebody like you drafted in the first round.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Now you're here.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
He mentioned top prospect in the system. What's that like
for you to wanting to give it your all to
to try your hardest, to work your hardest, but also
maybe not be too hard on yourself and feel too
much pressure either.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Right, Yeah, I've had all these coaches here behind my
back and just telling me that you know, you've got
this stuff. It's just all all it is now is
just honing in on your craft and you'll get there
with no issue. So it's just trusting that process. It
sounds corny, but it's real. You know, to not rush anything,
you know, don't be anxious in anything. But yeah, just
(04:24):
go about it day by day, rep by rep, and
and just trust that you'll get.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
To where you want to get to think about this,
Just get to the ball, make a decent throw because
the guy at first base is gonna grab everything.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
And he's almost out yesterday. He's like, it doesn't have
to hit the middle of my chest every single time.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Now, you don't want to take advantage of that, but
you know that you've got great backstep over.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
There, the best, the best over there at first base.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
And what advice is I mean you are you one
of those guys say hey, how do you handle this?
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Or are you just kind of letting things naturally come
to you?
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Right?
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Now I'm just kind of letting, letting the thoughts come
in my head and I'm purely watching instead of instead of,
you know, being vocal for now. You know, I'm pretty new,
but yeah, I'm just I'm just being a sponge. I'm
listening to what everybody has to say.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
I'm gonna give you a little vice about Houston and
sports fans.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
They're gonna love you when they see you, whether it's
on TV here or when you come to the big
league team. But we have more folks that call us
about minor league players than ever. So if you get
off to a fast start, you're gonna I don't know
if you check Twitter in very much, but people are
gonna be asking you when you get in up here.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
When you get up here, so.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Don't put it.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Don't let the social media streets put pressure on because
the team's close and sugar Land, Yeah, I was gonna say,
it's not a terrible drive, and you're not going to Fresne, California.
You know what I'm saying. It's gonna be not bad.
It used to be Oklahoma City before that and Fresnel. Yeah, yeah,
you're a quick shuttle here. Uh what about your defensive
game do you want to work on? I mean, we've
never seen you play, and we've only seen the YouTube videos,
(05:46):
and that's when we put the good things out there.
So what are some nuances a third base that present
not necessarily challenges, but thing you always want to work on.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
I always want to work on a lout of a
movement and and just moving my feet like kind of
they say dancing like, you know, dancing out there the
field being smooth. That's what it takes to stay at
their base for a while.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
I don't.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
I don't really want to be a robot. I want
to be flexible, Yeah, and and be able to get
you know, some range, some good range.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Is there such a thing as in field chemistry? Do
you believe in that?
Speaker 3 (06:12):
One hundred percent? Yeah, one hundred percent, Because you know
the ranges of your shortstop. The shortstop knows the ranges
of the second basement, and same thing for the second
basement in the first basement. So it's just like knowing
each other and knowing what balls like you can get
and what balls you should leave for the short style. Yeah,
so you you the shortstop here, of course.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
Jeremy Paynett gold Glover Alex Bregman raining Gold Glover. Now,
of course with the Red Sox and so kind of
a not necessarily to go back to the pressure well,
but that the the the bar has been kind of
set defensively here at the Astros organization.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Yeah, one hundred percent. They take pride in their defense.
And that's what I love because that's what I want
to improve on the most, and and they take pride
in it. And you know, I'm just I'm being a sponge,
like I said, I'm listening to whatever they say, and
I'm all in, let's go.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
All right, you're gonna ate your first home run at
Dyke Park eventually. Where do you want to hit your
first road home run?
Speaker 3 (07:03):
Right center?
Speaker 2 (07:05):
I mean park?
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Oh, a certain park? Okay, I go over all that.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
I don't care, I don't care what fins you go?
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Okay, okay, yeah, Dodger Dodger Stadium, Dodger State.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
They don't like the Astros there, you know that, right?
Speaker 3 (07:16):
I understand that that's the right field. The Yankee Stadium
pretty easy, Yeah, no, yeah, it's a short porch over there.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Yeah. So Dodger Seaman Stadium one.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Yeah, it's just like all the lights are on you
all right.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Uh, as a third basement in the minor league ballparks,
you probably hear the fans a little bit. Four, wrap
things up, give me some good mature you've heard and
something you're.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Like you have to shake your head and go, what
are you talking about?
Speaker 3 (07:37):
I don't know, honestly, I don't know even know if
I can say it.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Oh, okay, we have a we have a specially show.
Actually tell us during the preak and we'll we'll clud
it up for the audience later.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
That's funny. Yeah, because going to Omaha last year. Uh,
those fans are in your ear man, the Tennessee fans,
they're they're rough.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
That's right, Hey, Camp, it was great visiting with you.
We wish you nothing but the very best. Very excited
and man, I'm so excited. But you have a great time.
Hope it's a short trip down in sugar Land, yes,
because it's gonna be like ninety five degrees outside.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
I can't get the hell.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Out of here.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
You're used that way? What am I talking about? You're
used to Paul Bach? What are you talking about? It's
you would here all the time. Yeah, he's lived in
it all right. Jam Smith joining us here on the program.
Thank you for we appreciate it. Short time out. It
is twelve thirteen. Matt Thomas Show with Ross continues here
on Sports Talk seven ninety
Astro top phenom future third base slash, left field slash
wherever you want to play. Cam Smith is with us
on the program, lake Worth, Florida.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Is that correct?
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Yes, sir?
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Twenty five minutes from here, twenty five minutes. Mom and
dad cook a good meal for you.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
That's right, every night, every night. And I'm helping her
out too, So I'm learning.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Okay, So here's a chef, here's the big he gets
to keep all his travel money for the spring training.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Put in the piggy bang. Say that out him immediately.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Respect that, you know, is just the truth, since you'd
be like, Matt, don't.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Tell anybody this.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
It's true, No, it's true. I like, it's very nice.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
All right, I've been asking all these guys.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
You get the phone call, Yeah, you're going to play
for the Houston Astros.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
What was your initial reaction?
Speaker 1 (00:48):
And then how long did it settling before you're leaving
that the Cubs organization to come play for the Houston Astros.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Yes, at first I was. I was definitely shook a
little bit. I didn't honestly, I didn't know it was
possible that that you could trade up player right after
you draft them. But like I was like, I was
talking to them. It's a business. And and once I
got that call from Carda Hawkins telling me the trade happened,
Dana Brown called me and welcomed me. And and after that,
everybody else in the front office called me and welcomed me.
(01:16):
So it felt good that that I was welcome with
open arms, for sure. You know, it felt it felt warming.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
It's kind of crazy, you know, that first round of
the draft, they try to make it like the NFL
and NBA Draft.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
They take pictures of you. We're in the Cubs gear and.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
All this can't wait to see you, and then months
later you're wearing somebody else's gear, right exactly. Yeah, Well,
I mean think about who you got traded for. I mean,
you didn't get traded for chopped liver, right, so that's great. Yeah,
and then immediately you're the number one prospect in the organization.
That's gotta mean you worked your ass off for that.
So take us through your life, because y'alls, you're built
like a linebacker. You and Decenzo could be ends on
(01:50):
the Houston Texas that had zero issue with that, right Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
No, Dezenzo is huge, man, He's a he's a different animal.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Have you guys arm wrestled yet? No?
Speaker 1 (01:59):
No, I don't plan on doing. And I think he
got me you two arm wrestling. We'll do that after,
but I don't want him to break my arm. They're
not very strong, you know what of them are?
Speaker 3 (02:10):
All? Right?
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Shoot, the organization will be good, that's true. You give
me a cut, Cay, you got good money coming your way.
I know where I can find you easy money. That's right.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Okay, So, uh, tell us what Joe's told you so far,
what Dana has, and what are your frankly expectations coming
into camp this year.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Yeah, So, talking to Dana early on when I got
here for the January camp, he mentioned right field to
me and just taking reps there because he wants me
to see how I move and how comfortable I am
over there, because obviously there needs there's some holes that
need to be filled. Right Talking to Joe, he he
likes me at third base, that's why, Ben, he said,
that's where I'm comfortable and he'd like to see me
at third as well. So I'm gonna I'm probably gonna
(02:48):
do a mix of both, you know, just to see
what I can do at both positions.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
We won't tell him, but were you most comfortable third base?
Speaker 3 (02:55):
For sure? I've always been a short stop my whole life.
Got to college in twenty two and became a third baseman,
but I've always been an infielder always.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Who did you grow up watching? Learning the sport from man?
Speaker 3 (03:08):
I watched a ton of a ton of players, But
my favorite player growing up was Yasiel Puigue. Really interesting, Yeah,
my all time favorite.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
What made him the guy?
Speaker 3 (03:18):
He was just ahead of his game. He was he
was electric. I love the energy he brought. He was
just swaggy, smooth like. I just loved watching him play. Man.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
You gonna h so you're gonna pimp some home runs
like yas Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
I actually practiced it when I was young, to to
do what he does and try to swing like he does.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Are you a bat flipper guy or a bat drop guy?
Speaker 3 (03:38):
I would say drop there, Yeah, I would say drop.
I like to like the slow drop. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:43):
So you're here now, obviously you've had these conversations, uh,
pressure for for somebody like you drafted in the first round.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Now you're here.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
He mentioned top prospect in the system. What's that like
for you to wanting to give it your all to
to try your hardest, to work your hardest, but also
maybe not be too hard on yourself and feel too
much pressure either.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Right, Yeah, I've had all these coaches here behind my
back and just telling me that you know, you've got
this stuff. It's just all all it is now is
just honing in on your craft and you'll get there
with no issue. So it's just trusting that process. It
sounds corny, but it's real. You know, to not rush anything,
you know, don't be anxious in anything. But yeah, just
(04:24):
go about it day by day, rep by rep, and
and just trust that you'll get.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
To where you want to get to think about this,
Just get to the ball, make a decent throw because
the guy at first base is gonna grab everything.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
And he's almost out yesterday. He's like, it doesn't have
to hit the middle of my chest every single time.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Now, you don't want to take advantage of that, but
you know that you've got great backstep over.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
There, the best, the best over there at first base.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
And what advice is I mean you are you one
of those guys say hey, how do you handle this?
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Or are you just kind of letting things naturally come
to you?
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Right?
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Now I'm just kind of letting, letting the thoughts come
in my head and I'm purely watching instead of instead of,
you know, being vocal for now. You know, I'm pretty new,
but yeah, I'm just I'm just being a sponge. I'm
listening to what everybody has to say.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
I'm gonna give you a little vice about Houston and
sports fans.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
They're gonna love you when they see you, whether it's
on TV here or when you come to the big
league team. But we have more folks that call us
about minor league players than ever. So if you get
off to a fast start, you're gonna I don't know
if you check Twitter in very much, but people are
gonna be asking you when you get in up here.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
When you get up here, so.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Don't put it.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Don't let the social media streets put pressure on because
the team's close and sugar Land, Yeah, I was gonna say,
it's not a terrible drive, and you're not going to Fresne, California.
You know what I'm saying. It's gonna be not bad.
It used to be Oklahoma City before that and Fresnel. Yeah, yeah,
you're a quick shuttle here. Uh what about your defensive
game do you want to work on? I mean, we've
never seen you play, and we've only seen the YouTube videos,
(05:46):
and that's when we put the good things out there.
So what are some nuances a third base that present
not necessarily challenges, but thing you always want to work on.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
I always want to work on a lout of a
movement and and just moving my feet like kind of
they say dancing like, you know, dancing out there the
field being smooth. That's what it takes to stay at
their base for a while.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
I don't.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
I don't really want to be a robot. I want
to be flexible, Yeah, and and be able to get
you know, some range, some good range.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Is there such a thing as in field chemistry? Do
you believe in that?
Speaker 3 (06:12):
One hundred percent? Yeah, one hundred percent, Because you know
the ranges of your shortstop. The shortstop knows the ranges
of the second basement, and same thing for the second
basement in the first basement. So it's just like knowing
each other and knowing what balls like you can get
and what balls you should leave for the short style. Yeah,
so you you the shortstop here, of course.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
Jeremy Paynett gold Glover Alex Bregman raining Gold Glover. Now,
of course with the Red Sox and so kind of
a not necessarily to go back to the pressure well,
but that the the the bar has been kind of
set defensively here at the Astros organization.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Yeah, one hundred percent. They take pride in their defense.
And that's what I love because that's what I want
to improve on the most, and and they take pride
in it. And you know, I'm just I'm being a sponge,
like I said, I'm listening to whatever they say, and
I'm all in, let's go.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
All right, you're gonna ate your first home run at
Dyke Park eventually. Where do you want to hit your
first road home run?
Speaker 3 (07:03):
Right center?
Speaker 2 (07:05):
I mean park?
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Oh, a certain park? Okay, I go over all that.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
I don't care, I don't care what fins you go?
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Okay, okay, yeah, Dodger Dodger Stadium, Dodger State.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
They don't like the Astros there, you know that, right?
Speaker 3 (07:16):
I understand that that's the right field. The Yankee Stadium
pretty easy, Yeah, no, yeah, it's a short porch over there.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Yeah. So Dodger Seaman Stadium one.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Yeah, it's just like all the lights are on you
all right.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Uh, as a third basement in the minor league ballparks,
you probably hear the fans a little bit. Four, wrap
things up, give me some good mature you've heard and
something you're.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Like you have to shake your head and go, what
are you talking about?
Speaker 3 (07:37):
I don't know, honestly, I don't know even know if
I can say it.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Oh, okay, we have a we have a specially show.
Actually tell us during the preak and we'll we'll clud
it up for the audience later.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
That's funny. Yeah, because going to Omaha last year. Uh,
those fans are in your ear man, the Tennessee fans,
they're they're rough.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
That's right, Hey, Camp, it was great visiting with you.
We wish you nothing but the very best. Very excited
and man, I'm so excited. But you have a great time.
Hope it's a short trip down in sugar Land, yes,
because it's gonna be like ninety five degrees outside.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
I can't get the hell.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Out of here.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
You're used that way? What am I talking about? You're
used to Paul Bach? What are you talking about? It's
you would here all the time. Yeah, he's lived in
it all right. Jam Smith joining us here on the program.
Thank you for we appreciate it. Short time out. It
is twelve thirteen. Matt Thomas Show with Ross continues here
on Sports Talk seven ninety
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