Cam Smith is rare bright spot for Astros amid 'horrific' start originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Houston Astros are off to a "horrific" start to the 2026 MLB season, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

It's hard to argue with such a sentiment, as the team is 8-14, last in the AL West, and dealing with a litany of injuries to key players in the lineup and pitching staff.

However, other than Yordan Alvarez, there's another hitter who's proving to be a bright spot this season. That player is Cam Smith, the second-year outfielder who is breaking out to begin the season.

"While the Houston Astros have gotten off to a horrific start, scouts are raving about young right fielder Cam Smith, predicting he will be a superstar, at least a perennial All-Star," Niehgtengale writes.

The scouts predicting Smith will be a future superstar is at least some solace for the Astros and their fans amid this terrible start to the season.

So far this season, Smith is hitting .257 with three home runs, 10 RBIs,  19 hits, 13 runs scored, five doubles, and an .802 OPS.

While those aren't superstar numbers by any means, they are All-Star caliber numbers. If he can be a positive in the outfield, which he has been this season, then the Astros' right fielder could be a consistent All-Star representative.

More: Red Sox never close on Astros’ Isaac Paredes trade

Acquired from the Chicago Cubs in the Kyle Tucker trade, Smith has been a huge piece of the Astros success the last two years. But after posting a .670 OPS last season, he's turned a corner this year.

His .446 slugging percentage is a big reason why. He had a .312 on-base percentage and a .358 slugging percentage last year. While he's at a .356 on-base percentage this season, his slug at the plate has been a huge reason for the differing levels of success.

Smith breaking out into an All-Star caliber player would help make things less brutal for the Astros this season. Of course, the poor record and the multitude of injuries are, as Nightengale put it, "horrific." But Smith is helping make such a star hurt less.

Braves predicted to trade Bryce Elder for Lars Nootbaar

Jacob DeGrom is only 149 strikeouts from 2,000 for his career

Three ways Pirates' Paul Skenes could lose NL Cy Young Award

Mets didn’t want to trade Brett Baty while White Sox didn’t want Mark Vientos in Luis Robert Jr. trade

Shohei Ohtani deemed more valuable than Aaron Judge in recent ESPN discussion piece