Fast-rising prospect Smith takes in Wrigley: 'It's a blessing'
Jordan Bastian
@MLBastianCHICAGO -- As Cam Smith made his way through the Cubs¡¯ clubhouse at Wrigley Field on Saturday morning, shortstop Dansby Swanson walked by. The first-rounder admitted feeling a bit starstruck during that moment of his visit to the Friendly Confines.
¡°He¡¯s just like a normal human. I feel like he¡¯s like a superhero,¡± Smith said with a smile. ¡°Just walking past him, he¡¯s got his coffee in his hand, just like a normal dude playing ball. It was awesome to see.¡±
If things go according to plan, the 21-year-old Smith will be starring at the corner of Clark and Addison streets before too long. The third baseman is already ranked as the No. 7 prospect on MLB Pipeline¡¯s list for the Cubs and checks in at No. 99 on the overall Top 100 list. Smith is rising fast after being selected with the 14th overall pick in this year¡¯s MLB Draft.
At the rate Smith climbed Chicago¡¯s system in his first taste of pro ball -- he reached Double-A Tennessee after stops with Single-A Myrtle Beach and High-A South Bend -- he projects to reach the big leagues by 2026-27. In his first season, the Cubs¡¯ player development group wanted to push him up the ladder to swiftly assess his ability.
¡°The philosophy that I wanted to take with him,¡± Cubs director of player development Jason Kanzler said earlier this month, ¡°was to push him as fast as he would allow us, basically, in terms of performance and how he handles himself. And clearly, what he did in A-ball warranted a quick promotion. And then he had continued success in High-A. I'd like to just keep pushing him and find where his natural challenge point is.¡±
Smith loved that approach to his development.
¡°I like the aggressive decisions they made,¡± Smith said. ¡°It just shows that they¡¯re paying attention and they¡¯re watching you. It¡¯s very encouraging, for sure.¡±
During his ¡®24 season at Florida State, Smith hit at a .387 clip with 16 homers, 22 doubles, 57 RBIs, 82 runs scored, nearly as many walks (44) as strikeouts (48), and a 1.142 OPS. The Cubs initially sent him to Single-A, where he hit .313 (1.174 OPS) in 15 games, including launching a homer in six straight games from Aug. 20-25.
¡°I was just as in shock as you were. I can¡¯t even lie,¡± Smith said.
From there, Smith was moved up to South Bend, where he hit .333 with a .921 OPS in 12 games. The Cubs then opted to promote the prospect to Double-A, where he played five games down the stretch and then three more in the playoffs. In eight games at that level, Smith had an .816 OPS with one homer, two triples and six RBIs.
Overall, Smith finished his first season in the Cubs¡¯ system with a .313/.396/.609 slash line to go along with seven homers, five doubles, 24 RBIs, 20 runs and 15 walks (compared to 24 strikeouts). The next step for Smith is to head to Arizona for the Cubs¡¯ strength camp for Minor Leaguers across October and November.
¡°I was all in,¡± said Smith, who said a key for him this year was to focus on process over results. ¡°That¡¯s one of the biggest challenges I¡¯ve had thus far, is not really looking at the results right after the game. It¡¯s just like, ¡®Did I stick to my plan? Did I do my routine before the game?¡¯
¡°It¡¯s just looking at small wins. I think that¡¯s how you can kind of grade your day, if it¡¯s a win or not. Not by, ¡®Am I 4-for-4, 0-for-4,¡¯ or things like that.¡±
That process included getting the most out of his one-day taste of Wrigley Field before beginning his offseason work.
¡°It¡¯s a blessing,¡± Smith said. ¡°My family¡¯s always been Cubs fans, so just to get selected by this team is a dream come true.¡±