Cam Smith, the fast-rising 22-year-old slugger acquired as part of the Kyle Tucker trade with the Chicago Cubs this offseason, has made the Opening Day roster for the Houston Astros.

Smith was informed of the decision before the Astros' exhibition game Tuesday night against their Triple-A club.

In a video shared by the team, Houston manager Joe Espada addressed players in the clubhouse and then brought out Smith's mother, who notified her son of the decision.

The call up. #BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/5d1HxEFk0l

Houston Astros (@astros) March 25, 2025

"I always thought it was possible," an emotional Smith told reporters shortly after he was informed of the decision. "I had a great group of guys to help me out to get here today. I always thought it was a possibility for it to happen. And we're here today talking about it now. So I'm very blessed.

"At one point it was just me and her (his mother) in the house. She struggled to take me to baseball games and practice. I'm just happy to do it for her."

Smith's ascension to the major leagues has been meteoric. He played just 32 games in the minors last season after being drafted 14th overall by the Cubs in July. According to MLB.com, that's the third-fewest games played by a position player before he made it to the big leagues since 1965. Only Pete Incaviglia of the 1986 Texas Rangers (zero games) and John Olerud of the 1990 Toronto Blue Jays (six) got there faster.

Smith had a huge spring to help his cause, as he hit .342 with four home runs.

After bursting onto the minor league scene last summer, when he hit six home runs in six consecutive Single-A games, the Cubs traded him to Houston for All-Star right fielder Tucker in a winter, blockbuster deal.

Now, there's a good chance he'll take Tucker's place in the outfield on Opening Day on Thursday against the New York Mets after he played third base at Florida State.

"I've been here for eight years and we haven't had the conversations we are having about a lot of our players because we've had a team that's pretty much been built," Espada said recently. "Now we're trying to move some players around and be creative. As a manager, it's super exciting to see young players showcasing themselves and putting us in a tough spot to make tough decisions."

The move to the outfield for Smith came in mid-March, further foreshadowing the Astros' decision to eventually keep him on the roster. In the same trade for the young prospect, the team also acquired third baseman Isaac Paredes, facilitating Smith's move to right field.

"I'm not setting expectations," Smith said of a potential move to the outfield. "I'm just playing ball. I'm playing free."

Smith was drafted in the first round after playing two seasons with the Seminoles. He took major steps between his freshman and sophomore years after playing in the Cape Cod League in 2023. He hit .387 with 16 home runs for Florida State last year before being drafted.

According to ESPN Research, if Smith starts Thursday against the Mets, he'll be the second-youngest Astros position player to make his MLB debut as a starter on Opening Day. The youngest was Rusty Staub (19) in 1963.

Smith was asked how he's handling his early success in the pros.

"Slow heartbeat," he said.