With the 14th pick of the MLB Draft, the Chicago Cubs selected third baseman Cam Smith from Florida State. Smith is a power-hitting third baseman who had an impressive season with the Seminoles.
At 21 years old, Smith is a sophomore-eligible draft pick. Last season, he posted a .387/.488/.654 slash line with 16 home runs in 66 games. He walked 44 times in 269 at-bats, striking out 48 times. Including his nine hit-by-pitches, Smith collected more free bases than strikeouts.
Smith stands out physically at 6’3” and 215 lbs, though many think he weighs 10-15 pounds more. This size brings power potential but also a need for conditioning to succeed in the majors. He improved his conditioning significantly over the past year.
At the plate, Smith reworked his swing in 2024, leading to more contact and fewer strikeouts. While he hit more ground balls, the trade-off included more hits and walks, and many ground balls turned into doubles. Smith also uses the entire field well.
Smith also excelled in the wooden bat Cape Cod League last summer, hitting .347/.406/.575 with six home runs in 44 games. His performance on the Cape confirms his hitting abilities.
Defensively, opinions on Smith vary. Some view him as a solid third baseman, while others think he might need to move to a corner outfield position. His conditioning improvements over the past year suggest he can be a decent third baseman, but he needs to prioritize his defense upon signing.
Experts disagree on how quickly Smith can advance through the system. Keith Law believes he could reach Double-A this year, though opinions vary.
Pre-draft rankings placed Smith as follows:
– Fangraphs (Eric Longenhagen): 7th
– MLB Pipeline: 14th
– Baseball America: 16th
– ESPN (Kiley McDaniel): 17th
– The Athletic (Keith Law): 21st
After the top seven or eight players, there wasn’t much separation between the next twenty. Longenhagen’s high ranking of Smith is notable.
Here’s a highlight video from the ACC Network showcasing Smith.
He may not be the fastest, but these highlights show that he hustles and puts in an all-out effort. Smith is definitely not “slow,” at least not right now.
At the risk of making myself look silly in five years, Smith’s profile resembles that of Cubs legend Aramis Ramirez. They have similar sizes (though Smith is a bit bigger) and similar offensive profiles. While there are minor differences in their stances and swings, I’m comparing a veteran Ramirez to draft pick Smith. Ramirez would certainly be a top 95th percentile outcome for Smith, but it’s something for him to aspire to. Cubs fans would be thrilled if that came to pass.
Some have compared him to Miguel Sanó, which would be acceptable, at least for the first few years of Sanó’s career. However, I don’t think Smith will strike out as much as Sanó did, and that makes a significant difference.
So, let’s all welcome Cam Smith to the Cubs family!
Update:
In the second round, the Cubs selected third baseman Cole Mathis from the College of Charleston! Although announced as a third baseman, Mathis was a two-way player at first base and as a right-handed pitcher in college. He also played some third base in the Cape Cod League last summer.
Mathis, listed at 6’1”, 195 lbs, had a slow start this year with the Cougars but heated up as the season went on, finishing with a .335/.472/.650 slash line and 14 home runs in 52 games. Currently a contact-over-power hitter, he has shown excellent exit velocities that could translate into better power as he matures. He hit 11 home runs in 38 games (with a .318 average) in the Cape Cod League, indicating his power potential.
What’s interesting about this pick is that the Cubs announced him as a third baseman, a position he’s barely played. Mathis gave up pitching this season to focus solely on hitting, but his pitching career shows he definitely has the arm strength to play third base.
Mathis is more of a long-term project than Smith. The Cubs will need to teach him to play third base, with first base as a fallback position if he can’t field, and a return to the bullpen if he struggles to hit. However, his bat-to-ball skills are his best attribute, so the Cubs likely see him as a corner infielder who could hit for a high average/on-base percentage with slightly above-average power.
Here’s a collection of Mathis highlights. Some of them are pitching highlights, but he seems to field his position on the mound well.
So let’s welcome Cole Mathis to the Cubs family as well!
