Cam Smith 2024 MLB draft: Top 5 landing spots for FSU star ft. Tampa Bay RaysÂ
Third baseman Cam Smith has emerged as one of the can't-miss prospects in the 2024 MLB draft thanks to his remarkable statistical uptick in the 2024 NCAA men's baseball tournament. The 6-foot-3 sophomore out of Lake Worth, Florida hit .392 this season to go along with his .494 on-base percentage and .664 slugging percentage.
Smith's statistical rise in college baseball this year was amazing considering he was hitting .258 with a .326 OBP and .517 slugging rate last season. The infielder scored 82 runs, 16 home runs, 22 doubles and 57 RBIs, up from last season's statline of 39 runs/12 HRs/eight doubles/36 RBIs.
He was one of the key reasons for Florida State's amazing run in the College World Series, where the Seminoles reached the Final Four. Mock drafts from various sports websites project the third baseman as a mid-first-rounder between the No. 14 and No. 18 picks.
Here are the top five potential landing spots for Smith in the 2024 MLB draft.
Top 5 landing spots for Cam Smith in 2024 MLB draft
#5. Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers have a pressing need for a full-time third baseman. Joey Ortiz and Oliver Dunn are platooning for the infield position for Milwaukee, but they don't have the big-time potential that Cam Smith has.
In 64 games, Ortiz is hitting .274 with a .383 OBP and .465 SP. He has six home runs and 27 RBIs this season. Dunn, meanwhile, is slashing .221/.282/.318 with one homer and seven RBIs.
#4. Chicago Cubs
The Cubs are looking for a consistent bat who could replace Christopher Morel at third base. Cam Smith has a power stroke like Morel but is more accurate than the Cubs star. The veteran is hitting .197 with a .303 on-base percentage and .371 slugging percentage. Picking Smith in the draft could help Morel focus as a designated hitter.
#3. Seattle Mariners
The Mariners need a full-time third baseman who is a power hitter and Cam Smith fits the bill. Current Seattle third baseman Josh Rojas has hit .266 with a slugging percentage of .404 and an OBP of .335. He has four homers and 15 RBIs this season which is considered mediocre by current standards.
#2. Miami Marlins
Picking Smith in the 2024 MLB draft could make him feel at home as the Seminole is from Lake Worth, which is more than an hour's ride to Miami. The third baseman could contest the spot with Marlins infielder Jake Burger and could unseat him in one or two years. In 53 games, Burger is hitting .221 with a slugging percentage of .348 and an OBP of .261. He has 24 RBIs and six home runs so far this season.
#1. Tampa Bay Rays
Cam Smith could also stay within Florida if Tampa Bay picks him as their first-round pick in this year's draft. Smith's power bat fits perfectly with the Rays' style of picking good batters in the first round. His possible entry to Tampa Bay could spell trouble for full-time third baseman Isaac Paredes, unless the Rays find a way to use them at the same time.