Cubs Select 3B Cam Smith with the 14th Overall Pick in the 2024 MLB Draft

[Jamie Cameron]

The Cubs selected Cam Smith with the 14th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft.

Image courtesy of © Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

The Cubs selected Florida State third baseman Cam Smith with the 14th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. Smith is a 6'3, 230 pound right-handed hitter. He was ranked 14th overall on the North Side Baseball Consensus Board. The 14th overall pick comes with a lot value of $5,070,700.

After appearing as a top-100 prospect on draft lists ahead of the 2022 draft, Smith made it to campus in Tallahassee. After a freshman campaign that saw evaluators question his hit tool, he's been making strides since a summer stint on the Cape to answer those questions and put himself in a strong position as a draft eligible sophomore in 2024.

Smith has an athletic profile built for good power, with a flatter bat path indicative that more home run power could be on the way if Smith can lift the ball with more consistency. Advances in the hit tool have raised his stock over the summer. Smith has begun chasing less and improved his contact rate significantly enabling him to get off to a scorching start to the 2024 season.

Smith is a good runner and mover for someone his size but that's a fringe average grade overall. Defensively, he has a plus arm and moves well, making third base a viable long term home as a professional, one that he should be above average at defensively. Smith has a good case for the most improved hitter in college baseball in 2024. A lower hand set and wider base have helped him access his offensive impact with more consistency. He's an increasingly well-balanced offensive profile at the hot corner. He hit .387/.488/.654 (1.142) with 16 home runs (39 XBH), 44 walks and 48 strikeouts in 66 games.

More to come.

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[jersey cubs fan]

So what’s the timeline here? 2026 callup, optioned 2027, settles into spot 2028, extended 2029, calls for trading him away in 2030?

[Tryptamine]

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Edited July 15, 2024 by Tryptamine

[Bertz]