'Sweet Pickle' looks like a future star for the Houston Astros: 'He's got big-time power'

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Cam Smith won't turn 22 for a few more days.

He's only played 32 games in the minor leagues.

Astros manager Joe Espada has yet to see him perform in person. The Astros are still convinced the man who friends call "Sweet Pickle" will be a star at third base.

When ABC13 asked Astros general manager Dana Brown about him, he said, "We see him as a guy that can really carry a team in the middle of a lineup."

Smith is listed at 6'3" and 224 pounds. Many have commented that he projects an even larger presence in person.

Brown traveled to Florida to see Smith up close a couple of weeks ago, and he liked everything he saw from the Astros No. 1 prospect.

"He's got big-time power. He's a big human being. He's got great makeup," Brown said.

Smith hit 28 home runs combined in his last two seasons at Florida State. His frame suggests he'll add more power as he gets older.

The Florida native saw his college career take off after using meditation to find calm before his games. He told the Palm Beach Post that his pregame routine also includes music from Bob Marley and others.

So what about the nickname? Smith's cousin wanted to make him laugh when they were young, so he came up with "Sweet Pickle," and it stuck.

Years later, the Astros have their own name for him, a future star and a man who can carry a Major League lineup.

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