February 3, 2026
Astros manager Joe Espada said Tuesday that Smith will play some center field during spring training,
Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Analysis
Smith learned right field on the fly last season and took surprisingly well to it, so the Astros will push him further to see if he can learn a more demanding position. Right field still represents Smith's best path to a starting job, but more opportunities could be afforded if he shows he can adequately handle center field. Smith slashed .236/.312/.358 with nine home runs and a 27.8 percent strikeout rate across 134 games during his rookie season.