Cameron
Smith

Cape Cod: One of college baseball’s top recruits out of high school in 2022, Smith made a big splash during fall ball last year, then endured an up-and-down freshman spring during a disastrous season for the Seminoles. He finished with a .258/.326/.517 slash line and 12 homers, but swing-and-miss tendencies really hurt him, as he fanned 66 times against 21 walks. His summer in Hyannis began in similar fashion, with nine strikeouts over his first eight games, but Smith made a remarkable adjustment after working with Hyannis assistants Tino Martinez and Drew Ehrhard on improving his two-strike approach. He went to a strideless two-strike approach and started letting the ball get deeper — and as a result he fanned just 15 times in his final 40 games, counting the playoffs, and he finished with just a13 percent K rate overall. Those adjustments helped Smith become one of the best players on the Cape, hitting .341 with six homers, 14 doubles, four triples and 31 RBIs in 185 at-bats, counting the playoffs. A live athlete at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, Smith has serious bat speed from the right side that should translate to plus or better power, and his improved ability to lay off breaking balls out of the zone and hit them in the zone bodes well for the development of his hit tool. He profiles very well at third base, where he has an easy plus arm and sound actions, with the ability to make challenging plays look easy, though his lateral quickness is not elite. If he follows up his robust summer with a strong spring at FSU, Smith has clear first-round potential as an eligible sophomore.