The biggest day of Cam Smith’s pro baseball career became even sweeter on Tuesday.
Not only did the top Astros prospect learn he was making Houston’s Opening Day roster for Thursday’s game against the Mets, but he got to savor the moment with special people: his family.
On Tuesday, manager Joe Espada gathered the team in Houston and said the first person he would’ve called for such a life achievement would’ve been his mom.
So the skipper pulled out his phone and asked if a certain someone was at Daikin Park, and that someone was Smith’s mom, Stephanie Hocza, who then gave her teary-eyed son a big hug in the clubhouse as he received the news he’d be with the big league club.
After getting the call-up, Smith, 22, spoke about what it meant to get the news from her.
“At one point it was just me and her in the house,” he told reporters while fighting back more tears inside the Astros dugout. “She struggled to take me to baseball games and practice. I’m just happy to do it for her.”
Smith told the Houston Chronicle earlier this week that his mother meant a lot to his baseball growth.
“I think my mom did a great job of raising me as a kid and to kind of catapult me into adulthood, to be on my own and just keep things going that she already taught me,” Smith told the outlet. “I think she turned my head straight and that’s the reason why I’m pretty serious about my business.”
“I think she raised an incredible kid and that’s a family moment,” Espada told reporters Tuesday.
Smith was the 14th overall pick by the Cubs out of Florida State last year before he was the top prospect included as part of the return in the Kyle Tucker trade.
The third baseman played just 32 games in the minor leagues last season, and only five at the Double-A level.
He took off this spring with four homers, a .342 average and 1.130 OPS in 15 contests.
The Athletic reported that Smith is expected to start in right field in Thursday’s game against the Mets.
