Cubs take toolsy infielder Cam Smith out of Florida State with the #14 pick

With the 14th overall selection in the 2024 MLB Draft, the Chicago Cubs selected one of the top college bats in the class in Florida State sophomore infielder Cam Smith.

The 21-year-old Florida native built on a breakout showing in the Cape Cod League in 2023 with a wildly impressive campaign for the Noles this year, slashing .387/.488/.654 with nearly as many walks as strikeouts in 322 trips to the plate. He transformed his swing coming out of his freshman season when he batted just .258 with a very long swing, and it's safe to say it paid off in a big way.

Cubs go with a guy who could be a star in Major League Baseball

Smith is big - and could stick at third thanks to a natural quickness that's unusual for someone his size - or he could wind up in a corner outfield spot. But the draw here is the bat. Jed Hoyer clearly wanted an impact bat that could ascend the minor league affiliate ladder quickly, similar to Matt Shaw, last year's first-round pick.

In early June, we had him on our list of top players to watch heading into this year's draft - and when you dig into the advanced metrics, it's not hard to see why he gets so much love. This guy makes a ton of hard contact and could be one of those prospects who rockets into the top 100 sooner rather than later.

There were plenty of very talented players available to the Cubs at #14, but Smith is a guy who has legitimate star potential. Given the murky situation Chicago faces long-term at the hot corner right now and the need for major impact bats at the big league level, he checks a ton of boxes in one fell swoop.