Astros Star Cam Smith Has Hit Brutal Rookie Wall at Worst Time Possible

The Houston Astros have seen some brutal production as of late from their rookie sensation.

Aug 29, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros right fielder Cam Smith (11) reacts to striking out leaving two men on base against the Los Angeles Angels in the fourth inning at Daikin Park. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros are all of the sudden after a rough couple of weeks very much in a dogfight to try to stay alive in their pursuit of postseason baseball.

For a large chunk of the season, the Astros have had rather firm control of the American League West. Even with the Seattle Mariners nipping at their heels, they were able to retain that control. Another series loss, though, this time at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays, places Houston in a tie with the Mariners and just two games ahead of the Texas Rangers for the final Wild Card spot as well.

For the Astros, it likely is going to come down to three AL West teams for two spots. If they don't get it together quickly, they could be the ones left out. In terms of why this slump has occurred, inconsistent offense and a flat-out lack of production are the main causes. If there's one player they desperately need to pick it up ahead of October, it's their rookie sensation Cam Smith.

Smith Has Been Absolutely Dreadful Lately For Astros

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It's not fair to put this kind of pressure on such a young rookie who really came out of nowhere to make the team this season. But it's fairly obvious that as his bat has struggled, so has the offense as a whole. Over the last month -- 20 games for Smith -- he has slashed a brutal .140/.271/.240 with just one home run and one RBI alongside 19 strikeouts.

Looking at the month of August as a whole is even worse. He had a slash line of .147/.227/.221, fresh off a July in which he slashed just .214/.278/.286 when the struggles at the plate started to begin for the 22-year-old.

Most frustrating, the drop-off a cliff in July was coming off the best statistical month of his young career back in June. Though it now feels like a lifetime ago, he owned a slash line that month of .303/.354/.494 with four home runs and 16 RBI in 25 games.

Smith looked in June like he was finally coming around after an up and down first 60 days or so of the season. Not being able to sustain that kind of pace is not something that you can fault a player who ultimately is not experienced for. However it has put Houston in a little bit of a tough spot here.

Having already earned his role on this team, the Astros are likely going to let Smith battle it out and keep on trying to turn it around. Calling up someone like Zach Cole Friday though should send a strong message to Smith and the rest of the underperforming outfield: there are other options.

If Houston cannot turn things around offensively, the ship could very well sink over these next two weeks. Starting in Atlanta on Friday night, this group of bats needs to start showing more, and whether it's in a starting or pinch hitting role, Smith is a part of that

Fair or not, this team needs production out of the rookie. Time will tell if he's up to the task.