Top Draft Pick Cam Smith Promoted to South Bend After Homering in 6 Straight Games

Cam Smith is wasting no time moving through the system after being selected by the Cubs with the 14th overall pick in the 2024 Draft. The Florida State product started somewhat slowly with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, slashing .154/.267/.269 with one double through his first 26 at-bats. All he’s done since is go 11-for-21 with six homers, one each in his last half-dozen games. Yes, he homered in six straight games to set a Pelicans record.

Smith now boasts a .319 average with a ridiculous .787 slugging percentage in a league not known for being very hitter-friendly. The Cubs have seen enough to know he doesn’t need more work at Low-A, so they’re moving him up a rung on the ladder to High-A South Bend. Depending on how things go there, it’s possible Smith could wind up in Tennessee by the end of the season.

That would be a pretty aggressive track, but it’s not unprecedented for a position player with major college experience. Just last year, Matt Shaw skipped Myrtle Beach entirely and played only 20 games at South Bend before being bumped to Double-A. Even if it’s just to get a taste of the next level toward the end of the year, Smith could follow a similar path.

It’s starting to look like that No. 8 ranking in the system might have been a little light, though the Cubs are pretty well stacked at Nos. 1-7 as well. With six of those prospects at Triple-A currently, Smith figures to move up near the top of the list by the middle of 2025.