Latest news with #ExcelSportsManagement
Forbes
31-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The Most Valuable Sports Agencies 2025
E ach of the 10 times that Forbes has ranked the most valuable sports agencies—starting in 2013 and most recently in 2022—CAA has come out on top. But if the outcome is beginning to feel a bit preordained, what it means to be North America's largest agency continues to grow—and grow, and grow. CAA once again takes the No. 1 spot in the ranking on the basis of its $1.14 billion in maximum commissions, up 18% from three years ago. The Los Angeles-based agency now has more than 3,000 clients for talent representation and oversees an estimated $15.9 billion in team-sport playing contracts and $4.59 billion in non-playing contracts, including endorsements as well as its coaching and sports media groups. 'The sports business has grown so much just in the past three or four years that people want to be in the game,' says Howie Nuchow, co-head of CAA Sports, 'and that creates opportunities for smart strategic business decisions.' Despite CAA's continued expansion, its rivals have gained some ground. Wasserman and Excel Sports Management—Nos. 2 and 3 across the last five editions of the agency ranking, dating to 2018—have boosted their estimated maximum commissions 31% and 57%, respectively, over the last three years, to $956 million and $783 million. Octagon (No. 4 this year with $463 million in maximum commissions) and Klutch Sports Group (No. 5, $351 million) have experienced even more robust growth—119% and 252%. Combined, the top 10 North American sports agencies are generating up to $4.61 billion in commissions on more than $72 billion in active contracts under management, with those figures representing rises of 22% and 25% from $3.79 billion and $57.8 billion three years ago. Years of consolidation preceded that 2022 ranking, and the mega-agencies' shopping sprees haven't let up in the years since. For instance, Roc Nation Sports and Klutch parent UTA enhanced their global soccer rosters with deals for Brazil's TFM and Germany's ROOF, respectively. You First, which ranked 10th on Forbes' 2022 agency list, was itself acquired by Hollywood talent agency Gersh last year (and narrowly missed the 2025 agency top 10). CAA, meanwhile, has continued its push beyond talent representation—sports, entertainment or otherwise—by absorbing consulting firm Portas and Hanold Associates, which leads searches for human resources executives. Jeff Schwartz, CEO of Excel, which entered on-field NFL representation for the first time with its 2023 purchase of REP 1 Football, says his agency has meetings 'probably monthly' to discuss its growth priorities and potential acquisition targets. But while competition at the top remains fierce—just last week, leading NFL agency Athletes First announced that it had pried away Tory Dandy, CAA's co-head of football, to become an equity partner—'it's not just grow to grow,' says Jason Ranne, Wasserman's president of global talent representation. Agencies are focused on exploiting specific financial opportunities and expanding client services rather than merely keeping up with the Joneses. 'We don't actually view it as some unusual pace,' Ranne adds of Wasserman, which has either acquired or entered into strategic partnerships with 10 smaller agencies over the last two years, bolstering its hockey group in April with a deal for KO Sports. 'It's just kind of par for the course for us for the last 10 years.' One other major factor driving the M&A activity has been an influx of institutional investors. At least seven of this year's top 10 agencies have been backed by private equity or venture capital money in recent years, with Excel currently seeking a new investor as Shamrock Capital considers selling the minority stake it acquired in the firm in 2020. Schwartz, who in addition to his position overseeing Excel comes in at No. 2 in Forbes' 2025 ranking of sports agents, says he expects the fundraise to close by the end of the year. 'It's no different than healthcare and the other places where private equity shows up,' Ranne says. 'It does tend to push for M&A activities—that's kind of their bread and butter.' CAA, which had already been controlled by private equity firm TPG, offered a proof of concept in 2023 when it sold a majority stake in the agency to François-Henri Pinault and his billionaire family's investment company, Groupe Artémis. The deal reportedly valued the entirety of CAA—including its entertainment business, which is now smaller than the sports side—at roughly $7 billion, a big step up from TPG's $1.1 billion purchase in 2014. The most notable change in this year's agency ranking, however, runs against the consolidation trend. WME Sports, which was No. 3 on the 2022 list, went private in a transaction that closed in March and has been forced to divest its football and basketball divisions to avoid violating NFL and NBA conflict-of-interest rules, which do not allow team owners to simultaneously hold a representation business in the sport. (Egon Durban, the billionaire co-CEO of Silver Lake, which led the WME deal, has a stake in the Las Vegas Raiders, and tech billionaire Michael Dell, whose family office invested in the new WME, owns a piece of the San Antonio Spurs.) Sports will remain a focus for WME, which still has a major presence in tennis, golf, action sports and media, although it fell just outside Forbes' 2025 agency ranking. WME's former football division, now rebranded as WIN Sports Group, also missed the cut despite Joel Segal landing at No. 14 on Forbes' agent list. But its newly independent basketball business—using the name WME Basketball, at least temporarily—came in at No. 10 among North American sports agencies, with Bill Duffy at No. 4 on the top agents list. Among the other changes to the talent representation landscape since Forbes' last ranking in 2022, virtually all of the top 10 agencies have significantly expanded their college NIL practices—and are seeing an actual financial return, beyond the benefits of cultivating a talent pipeline. 'I would say this year it made the move to justifying the effort,' CAA's Nuchow says. 'This is now a whole new budget line item that you hadn't had before that is millions of dollars.' Women's sports are also a new, or renewed, area of focus for much of the industry, even though playing contracts for female athletes remain modest. And while agencies wait for the millions to come for some of those clients, they are benefiting from the rising tide in other ways. 'We're working on the areas where the growth is happening, meaning franchise values,' Nuchow says, noting that CAA advises on media rights and stadium construction. Beyond talent representation, agencies have been building out their divisions that work with brands, teams and leagues—areas that are excluded from the Forbes ranking but can have superior profit margins. Still, even as sports agencies branch out in new directions—and talent representation becomes a smaller piece of total revenue—they aren't planning to get out of the business that got them here. 'Talent is in our DNA at Excel, and talent opens the door for so many of these other areas,' Schwartz says. 'Could revenues be greater in some other areas? Maybe—but I still think there's so much to do globally on the talent side that we're focused on.' Most Valuable Sports Agencies 2025 #1. CAA 📍 Los Angeles Key Sports: Football, Basketball, Soccer, Baseball, Hockey Key Clients: Josh Allen, Devin Booker, Sidney Crosby, Jack Grealish, Shohei Ohtani Estimated Clients: 3,070 Estimated Playing Contracts Under Management: $15.9 billion Estimated Non-Playing Contracts Under Management: $4.59 billion Maximum Commissions: $1.143 billion Tom Wilson/#2. Wasserman 📍 Los Angeles Key Sports: Baseball, Basketball, Soccer, Hockey, Football, Golf, Olympic Sports, Rugby, Action Sports Key Clients: Maxx Crosby, Katie Ledecky, Connor McDavid, Evan Mobley, Zack Wheeler Estimated Clients: 4,360 Estimated Playing Contracts Under Management: $9.52 billion Estimated Non-Playing Contracts Under Management: $3.07 billion Maximum Commissions: $956 million#3. Excel Sports Management 📍 New York City Key Sports: Basketball, Football, Baseball, Golf Key Clients: Caitlin Clark, Jared Goff, Nikola Jokic, Cal Raleigh, Tiger Woods Estimated Clients: 750 Estimated Playing Contracts Under Management: $6.56 billion Estimated Non-Playing Contracts Under Management: $3.5 billion Maximum Commissions: $783 million #4. Octagon 📍 McLean, Virginia Key Sports: Hockey, Baseball, Basketball, Football, Golf, Tennis, Soccer, Olympic Sports Key Clients: Simone Biles, Stephen Curry, Leon Draisaitl, Trinity Rodman, Bobby Witt Jr. Estimated Clients: 900 Estimated Playing Contracts Under Management: $3.55 billion Estimated Non-Playing Contracts Under Management: $1.64 billion Maximum Commissions: $463 million#5. Klutch Sports Group/UTA 📍 Los Angeles Key Sports: Basketball, Football, Baseball, Soccer Key Clients: Rafael Devers, Kai Havertz, Jalen Hurts, LeBron James, A'ja Wilson Estimated Clients: 680 Estimated Playing Contracts Under Management: $6.27 billion Estimated Non-Playing Contracts Under Management: $1 billion Maximum Commissions: $351 million #6. Boras Corporation 📍 Newport Beach, California Key Sport: Baseball Key Clients: Pete Alonso, Carlos Correa, Bryce Harper, Corey Seager, Juan Soto Estimated Clients: 110 Estimated Playing Contracts Under Management: $4.89 billion Estimated Non-Playing Contracts Under Management: $80 million Maximum Commissions: $260 million #7. Roc Nation Sports 📍 New York City Key Sports: Football, Soccer, Basketball, Baseball Key Clients: CJ Abrams, LaMelo Ball, Skylar Diggins, Kyler Murray, Vinicius Jr. Estimated Clients: 260 Estimated Playing Contracts Under Management: $2.14 billion Estimated Non-Playing Contracts Under Management: $510 million Maximum Commissions: $218 million #8. Athletes First 📍 Laguna Hills, California Key Sport: Football Key Clients: Justin Herbert, Micah Parsons, Dak Prescott, Jalen Ramsey, Tua Tagovailoa Estimated Clients: 220 Estimated Playing Contracts Under Management: $5.68 billion Estimated Non-Playing Contracts Under Management: $400 million Maximum Commissions: $197 million#9. GSE Worldwide 📍 New York City Key Sports: Golf, Tennis, Football Key Clients: Chase Brown, Bryson DeChambeau, Joaquin Niemann, Tommy Paul, Jessica Pegula Estimated Clients: 290 Estimated Playing Contracts Under Management: $210 million Estimated Non-Playing Contracts Under Management: $580 million Maximum Commissions: $122 million#10. WME Basketball 📍 Beverly Hills, California Key Sport: Basketball Key Clients: Luka Doncic, Anthony Edwards, Chet Holmgren, Sabrina Ionescu, Jalen Williams Estimated Clients: 270 Estimated Playing Contracts Under Management: $1.8 billion Estimated Non-Playing Contracts Under Management: $400 million Maximum Commissions: $120 millionMethodology Forbes' 2025 list of the most valuable sports agencies ranks firms based in North America according to an estimate of the maximum commissions they can generate from the contracts they manage. Agencies that do the bulk of their business in Europe or Asia—such as TEAM8, which is headquartered in Ohio but has the vast majority of its contracts under management attached to Roger Federer—are excluded. However, for any agency that is included in the ranking, the contract and client estimates do include overseas divisions, such as CAA's Stellar soccer group. Estimates for Klutch Sports Group include contracts negotiated by ROOF, a European-focused soccer agency that was acquired by Klutch parent UTA in 2024. Estimates for WME Basketball are strictly for the divested basketball division of WME Sports. The list considers both playing and marketing contracts for clients in all team sports at the ranked agencies (including sports that have a relatively small presence in North America, such as cricket and rugby). The list also considers marketing contracts for clients in individual sports, such as golf and tennis, as well as clients who are retired. In addition to endorsements, the non-playing contract estimates include contracts for coaches and sports media personalities and athletes' content deals. All figures reflect only individual talent; agency divisions that represent brands or sports properties such as leagues and teams are not included. Clients from outside the sports world are also excluded in the case of agencies that have entertainment divisions, such as CAA, Wasserman, Klutch/UTA and Roc Nation. Contract figures represent estimates of the total value of all active deals under management as of December 31, 2024, including both money that has already been paid out and money that has yet to be paid. To calculate commissions on playing contracts, Forbes multiplied the contract value either by the maximum agent fee allowed by that league's players' union or by the standard market rate in cases where there is no cap—3% in the NFL, 4% in the NBA and the NHL, 5% in MLB and 10% in European soccer. (In golf and tennis, agents traditionally do not earn commissions on their clients' prize money.) Forbes assumes a 20% commission rate on endorsement contracts, and lower rates on other sorts of non-playing contracts, in line with industry standards. Forbes' contract total estimates are rounded to the nearest $10 million. Maximum commission estimates are rounded to the nearest $1 million. Agency client count estimates are rounded to the nearest 10. Figures were compiled through conversations with industry insiders and with the help of public reports and databases such as Spotrac, Inside the League, PuckPedia and Capology. Some clients and contract figures that could not be independently corroborated were not included. More From Forbes Forbes Talent Agency Wasserman Expands NHL Division With Deal For KO Sports By Brett Knight Forbes Private Equity Firm Velocity Capital Is Investing More Than $100 Million In A European Soccer Agency By Justin Birnbaum Forbes As The NHL Grows, A Dominant Sports Agency Thinks Hockey Marketing Is No Longer On Thin Ice By Brett Knight Forbes The World's 10 Highest-Paid Athletes 2025 By Brett Knight
New York Times
29-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Colts, LT Bernhard Raimann agree to 4-year, $100 million extension: Source
The Indianapolis Colts and left tackle Bernhard Raimann have agreed to a four-year, $100 million contract extension, a league source confirmed to The Athletic on Monday night. The deal includes $60 million guaranteed. Raimann, a 2022 third-round pick, receives a massive raise four days after he joined 107.5 The Fan's 'Query & Company' and said the Colts and his agent, Chase Callahan of Excel Sports Management, weren't 'on the same page' financially regarding a potential extension. Advertisement 'From my understanding, it's that the numbers don't always quite add up yet,' Raimann said. 'They might value the position differently than my team thinks it is, but we're working on things.' They were able to smooth things over pretty quickly. Raimann is entering the final year of his four-year, $5.3 million rookie deal. When his new contract kicks in next season, his annual salary of $25 million will be the sixth highest among all NFL offensive tackles, per Spotrac. This story will be updated.
GMA Network
21-07-2025
- Sport
- GMA Network
This Filipino skills trainer helped Kevin Quiambao land a spot in a private scrimmage in US
What started only as a personal trip to the United States for Patrick Tancioco turned into a chance to help rising basketball star Kevin Quiambao chase his NBA dream. Quiambao was in the US in July, with training sessions in Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. Last week, he was also part of a private scrimmage hosted by Excel Sports Management, which was attended by scouts and front office personnel of several NBA teams. READ MORE | Kevin Quiambao talks about his NBA dream and recent US training Tancioco, who founded Better Basketball and trains top collegiate and professional players, traveled to the US to meet up with his mentor, NBA skills coach Drew Hanlen, and help run sessions with NBA players at the NBA Pro Day in Las Vegas. Upon learning that Quiambao was in the same country, Tancioco decided to lend the Pinoy baller a hand and connected him with Tim Edwards of Excel, leading to Quiambao's participation in the workout. "'Yun talaga ang pinunta ko dito, hindi si KQ. Na-tiyempo lang na nandito siya at kailangan niya ng tulong pero ako ang purpose ko dito ay i-meet si Drew Hanlen, 'yung mentor ko," Tancioco told GMA News Online in an interview last week. "So meron akong friend na agent, five years ko na siyang kaibigan, si Tim Edwards. Nag-fall through 'yung ibang plano ni KQ dito so minessage ko si Tim." [That's what I came here for, not KQ. It just so happened that he was here and he needed some help but my purpose was to meet my mentor Drew Hanlen… I have a friend who's also an agent, he's been my friend for five years, Tim Edwards. KQ's other plans fell through so I messaged Tim.] Quiambao is no stranger to Edwards. Tancioco shared that five years ago, he sent Edwards video featuring then-rising stars Carl Tamayo and Aldous Torculas—back when they were still playing for NU Nazareth School and UP Integrated School, respectively. The goal was to ask if either had the potential to make it to US NCAA Division I. "But surprisingly ang napansin niya doon sa video ay si Kevin Quiambao. Nu'ng pinaalala ko kay Tim, sabi niya sakto kasi 'yung agency niya, which is Excel Agency, merong private runs,' Tancioco shared. [Surprisingly, Kevin Quiambao was the one he noticed. When I reminded Tim, he said, it was fortunate because his agency, Excel Agency, was doing private runs.] The 24-year-old Quiambao, for his part, spoke about the work he's put in while he was in the US. "Tutuloy-tuloy lang. Siyempre for the love of the game, and then para sa country natin kasi I'm trying to aim na maging first Filipino full-blooded na makapasok sa NBA," Quiambao told GMA Integrated News' Martin Javier. "Nothing is impossible naman." [I just keep going. Of course, for the love of the game and for the country also because I'm trying to aim to become the first Filipino full-blooded player to make it to the NBA... Nothing is impossible.] —with reporting from Martin Javier/JMB, GMA Integrated News
Washington Post
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Cam Smith's meteoric rise to the majors: A story of dedication and discipline
HOUSTON — When Cam Smith made his MLB debut on opening day for the Houston Astros, it was the third-fastest that someone had gone from the draft to the majors. Selected 14th overall by the Cubs in last year's draft, Smith played just 32 minor league games, including five at Double-A, before moving to the big leagues. Behind the rookie's meteoric ascent was years of work, preparation and planning coupled with a team working behind the scenes to help him reach the majors in near record time. His mother muses about him being 'too serious.' His hitting coach Aaron Capista says that he's 'built different.' Jason Romano, his longtime adviser and current agent at Excel Sports Management, says that he's unlike anyone he's ever known. Teammate Mauricio Dubon proclaims: 'He's gonna be a big star in the big leagues.' Smith routinely arrives at the ballpark more than six hours before night games, has never had a sip of alcohol and says he hasn't even tried anything with caffeine. 'Everybody's really good at this level,' he explained. 'So, I've got to do something different to get an edge.' He knows it's a rarity for someone his age to not drink alcohol or caffeine, but it was part of his longtime plan to live a life free from distractions. 'I don't want to have to rely on anything,' he said. 'I want to keep life as simple as I can.' His mother, Stephanie Hocza, encouraged him to let loose in high school and maybe go to a party or two. 'I would tell him he was too serious and he needed to just have a little fun and not just be about baseball,' she said. 'But he really did not take my advice.' Smith, who was part of the trade that sent Kyle Tucker to Chicago, has heated up after a slow start and hit .307 in May to bring his season average entering Tuesday to .255 with three homers, eight doubles and 17 RBIs in 46 games. A performance made more impressive considering the 22-year-old was still playing for Florida State at this time last year. Many in the Astros organization rave about Smith's maturity. That could be traced back to a childhood where he had to grow up fast being raised by a single mother who often worked long hours to keep the family afloat. In middle school, Smith would come home from school and do homework before walking to a grocery store where he'd often buy a sub sandwich for dinner while Hocza worked until 10 p.m. most nights as a cook at a Lake Worth, Florida, bingo hall. 'He had to mature because he had to be responsible for his things,' Hocza said. 'I couldn't be there every night like most parents.' Though it was difficult at the time, Hocza now sees those early days with her son as a blessing. 'The best thing to do for your kids is make them figure it out,' she said. 'It was kind of forced upon him, but he definitely made the most of it and it turned him into who he is.' Smith's grandmother, Pattie Thomas, a lifelong Cubs fan, signed him up for T-ball when he was just 5 years old. The pair often attended spring training and minor league games in Jupiter, Florida. The young Smith was way more into the arcade on the concourse than watching the games. 'It's always funny to talk about how I wasn't too interested and now I do it for a living,' he said. By high school, he'd grown to love the game but still wasn't sure he could make it a career until scouts started coming to his games. 'Then I realized that I can play this for a long time,' he said. His first offer was from Florida Atlantic, and when the longtime Florida State fan got his second offer from the Seminoles, he immediately committed to them. After his freshman season at Florida State, his advisers recognized that he needed help to stop chasing pitches, correct some swing-and-miss issues and adjust his high groundball rate before playing in the Cape Cod League. They knew it was his chance to make an impression with scouts and raise his draft status. To chart his progress, Smith, Capista and Romano met on weekly FaceTime calls where they'd review his at-bats and emphasize the importance of trusting his judgment at the plate. Smith stopped chasing sliders and swinging at weak-contact pitches, and it led to an increase in walks and decrease in strikeouts. He became the top hitter in the league, batting .347 with 14 doubles, four triples, six home runs and 26 RBIs. That propelled him to a great sophomore season where he earned second-team All-America honors and led the Seminoles to the College World Series to help his draft stock rise. After being drafted by the Cubs, Smith played 27 games of A ball. It was there that he really heated up, hitting a home run in six consecutive games for Myrtle Beach. That was another boost to his confidence. 'Yeah, 100% because I didn't know I could ever do that,' he said. Capista wasn't surprised at the success Smith was having because of the kind of person he is. 'When you get the response and the feedback of someone like Cam, you quickly learn that he's built different, he's wired different,' Capista said. 'It's so cliche to say you want to be great ... but when you hear it and you get to know someone like Cam, you quickly learn that he means it, and he does the work, he does the stuff in the background that no one sees.' Before spring training Smith visited the Maven Baseball Lab, where they helped him refine his swing path so he could take another step forward. 'I could see a video that my bat was getting pretty flat early before I would go to swing and I'm just glad I had somebody like them to explain it to me,' he said. 'Break it down like: 'Hey, you're dumping the water out of the cup too early. Let's keep that upright a little longer.'' After the trade to Houston, Smith quickly impressed. He hit .342 with four homers and 11 RBIs this spring while navigating the move from third base to right field to make the opening day roster. 'He was not overwhelmed by the spots we put him in,' manager Joe Espada said. 'He's mentally tough. He can deal with the obstacles and ups and downs of a season.' Now that Smith's made it to the majors, he's hoping to inspire others like him to do it. Smith, whose mother is white and father is Black, hopes to get more Black kids involved in the game. 'I didn't really have somebody to look up to or who was able to talk to me about being African American and playing baseball,' he said. 'So, I wanted to be that influence on other young players to inspire them to know that it's possible and to know that they can do it.' He doesn't have a relationship with his father, but he has connected with his paternal grandmother, an aunt and other relatives on that side of the family in recent years. His mother said not knowing a lot about them as a child spurred him to learn more about his culture and who he was. 'It's more of just wanting a piece of that and wanting to just cherish that side of him,' she said. 'Even though he didn't have that in his life, that's still part of who he is.' ___ AP MLB:
Associated Press
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Cam Smith's meteoric rise to the majors: A story of dedication and discipline
HOUSTON (AP) — When Cam Smith made his MLB debut on opening day for the Houston Astros, it was the third-fastest that someone had gone from the draft to the majors. Selected 14th overall by the Cubs in last year's draft, Smith played just 32 minor league games, including five at Double-A, before moving to the big leagues. Behind the rookie's meteoric ascent was years of work, preparation and planning coupled with a team working behind the scenes to help him reach the majors in near record time. His mother muses about him being 'too serious.' His hitting coach Aaron Capista says that he's 'built different.' Jason Romano, his longtime adviser and current agent at Excel Sports Management, says that he's unlike anyone he's ever known. Teammate Mauricio Dubon proclaims: 'He's gonna be a big star in the big leagues.' Smith routinely arrives at the ballpark more than six hours before night games, has never had a sip of alcohol and says he hasn't even tried anything with caffeine. 'Everybody's really good at this level,' he explained. 'So, I've got to do something different to get an edge.' He knows it's a rarity for someone his age to not drink alcohol or caffeine, but it was part of his longtime plan to live a life free from distractions. 'I don't want to have to rely on anything,' he said. 'I want to keep life as simple as I can.' His mother, Stephanie Hocza, encouraged him to let loose in high school and maybe go to a party or two. 'I would tell him he was too serious and he needed to just have a little fun and not just be about baseball,' she said. 'But he really did not take my advice.' Smith, who was part of the trade that sent Kyle Tucker to Chicago, has heated up after a slow start and hit .307 in May to bring his season average entering Tuesday to .255 with three homers, eight doubles and 17 RBIs in 46 games. A performance made more impressive considering the 22-year-old was still playing for Florida State at this time last year. Many in the Astros organization rave about Smith's maturity. That could be traced back to a childhood where he had to grow up fast being raised by a single mother who often worked long hours to keep the family afloat. In middle school, Smith would come home from school and do homework before walking to a grocery store where he'd often buy a sub sandwich for dinner while Hocza worked until 10 p.m. most nights as a cook at a Lake Worth, Florida, bingo hall. 'He had to mature because he had to be responsible for his things,' Hocza said. 'I couldn't be there every night like most parents.' Though it was difficult at the time, Hocza now sees those early days with her son as a blessing. 'The best thing to do for your kids is make them figure it out,' she said. 'It was kind of forced upon him, but he definitely made the most of it and it turned him into who he is.' Baseball wasn't a first love for Smith, but it stuck eventually Smith's grandmother, Pattie Thomas, a lifelong Cubs fan, signed him up for T-ball when he was just 5 years old. The pair often attended spring training and minor league games in Jupiter, Florida. The young Smith was way more into the arcade on the concourse than watching the games. 'It's always funny to talk about how I wasn't too interested and now I do it for a living,' he said. By high school, he'd grown to love the game but still wasn't sure he could make it a career until scouts started coming to his games. 'Then I realized that I can play this for a long time,' he said. His first offer was from Florida Atlantic, and when the longtime Florida State fan got his second offer from the Seminoles, he immediately committed to them. After his freshman season at Florida State, his advisers recognized that he needed help to stop chasing pitches, correct some swing-and-miss issues and adjust his high groundball rate before playing in the Cape Cod League. They knew it was his chance to make an impression with scouts and raise his draft status. To chart his progress, Smith, Capista and Romano met on weekly FaceTime calls where they'd review his at-bats and emphasize the importance of trusting his judgment at the plate. Smith stopped chasing sliders and swinging at weak-contact pitches, and it led to an increase in walks and decrease in strikeouts. He became the top hitter in the league, batting .347 with 14 doubles, four triples, six home runs and 26 RBIs. That propelled him to a great sophomore season where he earned second-team All-America honors and led the Seminoles to the College World Series to help his draft stock rise. A rapid rise through pro ball After being drafted by the Cubs, Smith played 27 games of A ball. It was there that he really heated up, hitting a home run in six consecutive games for Myrtle Beach. That was another boost to his confidence. 'Yeah, 100% because I didn't know I could ever do that,' he said. Capista wasn't surprised at the success Smith was having because of the kind of person he is. 'When you get the response and the feedback of someone like Cam, you quickly learn that he's built different, he's wired different,' Capista said. 'It's so cliche to say you want to be great ... but when you hear it and you get to know someone like Cam, you quickly learn that he means it, and he does the work, he does the stuff in the background that no one sees.' Before spring training Smith visited the Maven Baseball Lab, where they helped him refine his swing path so he could take another step forward. 'I could see a video that my bat was getting pretty flat early before I would go to swing and I'm just glad I had somebody like them to explain it to me,' he said. 'Break it down like: 'Hey, you're dumping the water out of the cup too early. Let's keep that upright a little longer.'' After the trade to Houston, Smith quickly impressed. He hit .342 with four homers and 11 RBIs this spring while navigating the move from third base to right field to make the opening day roster. 'He was not overwhelmed by the spots we put him in,' manager Joe Espada said. 'He's mentally tough. He can deal with the obstacles and ups and downs of a season.' Now that Smith's made it to the majors, he's hoping to inspire others like him to do it. Smith, whose mother is white and father is Black, hopes to get more Black kids involved in the game. 'I didn't really have somebody to look up to or who was able to talk to me about being African American and playing baseball,' he said. 'So, I wanted to be that influence on other young players to inspire them to know that it's possible and to know that they can do it.' He doesn't have a relationship with his father, but he has connected with his paternal grandmother, an aunt and other relatives on that side of the family in recent years. His mother said not knowing a lot about them as a child spurred him to learn more about his culture and who he was. 'It's more of just wanting a piece of that and wanting to just cherish that side of him,' she said. 'Even though he didn't have that in his life, that's still part of who he is.' ___ AP MLB:
