In what was undoubtedly one of the biggest baseball spectacles of the season, the Chicago Cubs went to Houston for the weekend.
Over the weekend, there was a lot of discussion about the plot point where top prospects Kyle Tucker and Cam Smith each faced the clubs that traded and drafted them. With 48-33 records going into Friday’s games, both teams appeared ready to contend for their division.
Smith played third base at Florida State and during his brief stint in the Cubs’ system. However, as Smith impressed Houston Astros management with his maturity and skill set during spring training, they expedited a position change that their general manager had previously anticipated, which is in right field.
But why the change?
Astros Manager Dana Brown Reveals Why He Moved Cam Smith’s Position
According to The Athletic, Dana Brown could not forgo his scouting background when serving as a general manager for the Astros. Brown said, “I like my third basemen to be a little more agile on the dirt, and I just thought this guy was more fast and strong, so it’s probably more of an outfield piece.”
Isaac Paredes’ fit, Cam Smith’s defensive future and Yordan Alvarez’s progress: Astros takeaways – https://t.co/ALV6xRuA9R
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) June 30, 2025
Smith’s legs, in Brown’s opinion, were too large for him to play third base for his career. Smith may fill out further as he gets older because he is only 22 and stands at 6’3″. That, in Brown’s opinion, would not support a career at third base.
Smith gained a roster berth after playing his first game in right field in mid-March and has been the Astros’ main right fielder for the majority of the first half. Houston’s 22-year-old right-hander has started 66 of 81 games, demonstrating that he is capable of more than just managing the position.
The Cubs acquired Kyle Tucker in a blockbuster trade back in December of last year. Chicago was forced to send the Astros a sizable package that included Hayden Wesneski, Isaac Paredes, and Smith.
With a 2-0 victory over the Cubs to end June, the Astros established a commanding lead in the American League West Division battle. The Astros led the division by 6.5 games over the Seattle Mariners as of Monday.
The Astros were 31-27 heading into June. Houston was only a half-game behind first place in the division, in second place. Houston took the lead and never let it go after defeating Tampa Bay on June 1. By June 12, the Astros’ lead had increased to 4.5 games.
The only other teams in the Majors with 50 victories by the end of June are the Detroit Tigers and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Houston is off on Monday, which means its 19-7 record in June stands as the best record of any team in the league for the month. At one point, the Astros won an impressive seven out of eight games, including back-to-back walk-off games.