Last year at this time, Cam Smith was in the midst of his sophomore campaign with the Florida State Seminoles. Now, he is on the Houston Astros' Opening Day roster. The organization's top prospect (No. 58 overall) is expected to play right field for the four-time defending American League West champions when they host the New York Mets on Thursday. His meteoric rise to the big leagues is truly something to marvel at and appreciate.

The Chicago Cubs selected Smith with the No. 14 pick in the 2024 MLB June Amateur Draft. He played 32 games in their farm system before being dealt to the Astros as part of the blockbuster Kyle Tucker trade this past offseason. The 22-year-old quickly adapted to his new environment and produced big numbers in spring training, batting .342 with four home runs and 11 RBIs in 15 games.

Smith forced Houston's hand and gained entry to its 26-man roster. His MLB ascension is the third-fastest in the sport's history, ranking behind only Pete Incaviglia (played zero minor-league games) and John Olerud (six minor-league games), per MLB.com's Jim Callis. Both of those players made an impact right away, and the Astros are counting on Smith to do the same in 2025.

The Florida native shared in the news with his family on Tuesday, enjoying an emotional embrace with his mother in the clubhouse. Although a swift call-up seemed inevitable, actually securing the big-league promotion for Opening Day is a surreal moment for most prospects. Cam Smith's journey to Space City has been especially unexpected.

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Astros' Cam Smith will try to block out the noise and just do his job

He switched from third base and ventured into the outfield, quickly capitalizing on the available opportunities that lie in right field. It obviously remains to be seen if he will maintain an everyday role with the Astros for the entire season, but the front office's decision to release veteran Ben Gamel shows how serious it is about giving Smith regular reps.

Living up to the hype that comes with speedy MLB arrivals is a grueling and sometimes impossible chore. Eyes will be glued to his swing and defensive metrics. Those might not apply in Houston, however. This franchise has thrived by swiftly churning out new stars. Smith will look to continue that trend when he makes his debut this week.