Florida State Professional Athletes

Cam Smith Is Carrying Houston's September Push

Florida State's most compelling MLB story this week has a very simple shape: Cam Smith is on fire, and the Astros are winning because of it.

The Houston right fielder homered in three games across the Sep. 6–12 stretch, but the signature moment came Thursday in Philadelphia. With the Astros trailing by one in the top of the ninth, Smith stepped in against Phillies closer Jhoan Duran and deposited a solo shot that gave Houston a 2-1 lead — a lead they held. It was the kind of at-bat that separates contributors from difference-makers, and Smith delivered it on the road, in a tight spot, against one of the nastier arms in the NL bullpen.

The homer capped a blistering Phillies series. Smith had already gone deep on Tuesday (1-for-3, RBI, two runs) and raked again on Wednesday (2-for-4, another home run, two RBI, two runs). By the time Thursday was over, he'd collected six hits, three home runs, and four RBI across the three-game set alone. His season average climbed to .219 — modest on paper, but the hot streak tells a more urgent story with playoff positioning on the line.

Smith cooled slightly over the weekend against Tampa Bay — a hit Friday, held hitless Saturday in a 3-2 loss — but the Phillies series cemented him as one of the more dangerous bats in Houston's lineup when September matters most.

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Around the Diamond: Other 'Noles in Action

Parker Messick quietly put together one of the more impressive pitching lines of any FSU alum this week. The Cleveland Guardians left-hander struck out 12 batters in six innings against the Tigers — a career high in punchouts — though the offense gave him nothing in a 6-0 loss. In his Saturday outing against the Twins, Messick was solid again: 5.1 innings, one earned run, five strikeouts, with his ERA sitting at a sharp 2.51 as Cleveland clings to an AL wild-card spot. The Guardians need him to keep pitching like a staff ace.

Cal Raleigh had a strong bookend to the week. The Mariners catcher went 3-for-4 with a run scored in the series opener against Oakland on Sunday the 6th, then drove in a run in Saturday's 2-0 shutout win — a game in which Bryan Woo was dominant and Raleigh's RBI provided critical cushion. His .182 average undersells his game-calling value, but the bat has been picking up.

Shane Drohan had a rough Saturday start for Milwaukee against Cincinnati, allowing five earned runs in 3.2 innings as the Brewers survived a high-scoring 13-9 affair despite his outing. His ERA now sits at 4.35. The Brewers can afford the hiccup given their commanding division lead, but Drohan will need to sharpen his command heading into October.

Taylor Walls landed on the 10-day injured list with a right hip flexor strain, the Rays announced, ending what had been a quiet week for the FSU shortstop. Tampa Bay selected Nick Madrigal's contract to fill the roster spot.

The week belonged to Smith — but the depth of FSU talent across MLB rosters is a reminder that Tallahassee keeps producing pros worth watching.

Florida State's MLB alumni had a week worth watching, headlined by Cal Raleigh doing what he does best and Parker Messick quietly building one of the better pitching cases in the American League.

Big Dumper, Bigger Numbers

Raleigh entered the week already carrying the weight of a historic 2025 campaign — 60 home runs, records for catchers, switch-hitters, and Mariners alike — and he hasn't let up. On Aug. 31, the Mariners catcher went deep against Boston for his 20th home run of the season, adding an RBI single in the same series. He kept swinging come Saturday against Oakland, going 2-for-4 with another homer, two RBIs, and three runs scored in a 5-7 loss to the Athletics.

Through the week, Raleigh chipped in at least one hit in five of six appearances, driving in runs in multiple contests despite a batting average that sits at .176. That number doesn't tell the story — the power production does. Twenty-one home runs from a catcher before September wraps is elite production by any measure, and Raleigh is doing it in the middle of a Mariners lineup that's counting on him.

Messick's Case for Ace

Parker Messick isn't generating the same highlight-reel buzz, but the Guardians left-hander deserves every bit of attention FSU fans can spare. The week opened with Messick tossing six innings against Kansas City on Aug. 30, allowing just one run while striking out five — a gem that held his ERA at 2.46 and helped Cleveland avoid a sweep at the hands of the Royals.

He followed it up Saturday against the Tigers in an even stronger performance: six innings, 12 strikeouts, three earned runs, with his ERA settling at 2.53 on the season. His full-season line — 11-8, 2.46 ERA entering the weekend start — puts him squarely in the conversation among the AL's better starters as Cleveland pushes through a playoff chase. The Guardians were 72-70 heading into that game, and Messick has been a stabilizing force in a rotation that needs him to be exactly that.

Around the Diamond

Cam Smith had a productive stretch for Houston, contributing a 2-for-4 outing with two RBIs and a two-run double in the Astros' 6-3 win over the White Sox on Sep. 1, then added two more hits Saturday against Arizona. The FSU outfielder is hitting .214 on the year and has shown flashes of the offensive upside that made him a prospect worth tracking.

Shane Drohan had a rough outing Friday for Milwaukee, allowing six earned runs in four innings against Cincinnati — a start that pushed his ERA to 4.09 and did his case for a playoff rotation spot no favors. The Brewers have an open question about who rounds out their postseason rotation alongside their top arms, and Drohan's rocky September showing doesn't help his answer.

Taylor Walls continued to see regular time at shortstop for Tampa Bay, picking up hits in three of the week's games with a walk and a run scored along the way, keeping his average around .219.

Luke Weaver was used in short relief stints for Pittsburgh, working around a reported medical issue that's drawn attention in the Pirates clubhouse.

The Seminole footprint across the majors remains wide. Right now, Raleigh and Messick are making sure it's also deep.

Cal Raleigh had been one of baseball's most confounding mysteries in 2026 — a catcher coming off a massive contract extension, a proven power bat, and a season-long slump that had Mariners fans checking their watches. Then Monday night happened.

The Florida State alum went scorched-earth on the Philadelphia Phillies on August 25, launching three home runs — the first three-homer game of his career — to pace Seattle to a 9-2 rout. Raleigh went 3-for-4 with four RBI and three runs scored, single-handedly flipping the narrative on a season that had grown increasingly uncomfortable.

The breakout wasn't a one-night fluke. The very next night, Raleigh homered again in his first at-bat against the Phillies, tying a Mariners franchise record with home runs in four consecutive at-bats. A player who entered the week hitting .159 suddenly looked like the cleanup force Seattle signed him to be.

The timing matters. According to CBS Sports, Seattle owns the easiest remaining schedule in all of Major League Baseball — and a resurgent Raleigh makes that favorable slate genuinely dangerous. FanSided's data breakdown argued the breakout has underlying merit, not just a variance spike, pointing to underlying indicators that suggest the waking of "Big Dumper" may be the real thing. Entering the final week of August, Raleigh was sitting at a .169 average — still well below expectations — but the power surge signals the kind of inflection point that can define a postseason run.

The Supporting Cast

Raleigh wasn't the only 'Nole making noise this week.

Parker Messick continued to quietly build one of the more impressive résumés among FSU's MLB pitching corps. The Cleveland Guardians left-hander delivered six innings of one-run ball against the Los Angeles Angels on August 25, striking out four and factoring into a 4-2 Cleveland win. At a 2.50 ERA on the season, Messick is giving the Guardians exactly what they need from a mid-rotation arm down the stretch.

Shane Drohan made two starts for the Milwaukee Brewers during the period, logging five innings in each outing. He gave up two earned runs in a Sunday start against Atlanta and one earned run Saturday against Texas, finishing the week with his ERA sitting at 3.75. The Brewers, one of baseball's best teams, continue to find use for the FSU southpaw.

Taylor Walls provided some quiet contributions for Tampa Bay, going 2-for-X with an RBI on Friday against San Diego and adding two more hits Saturday. The Rays shortstop is hitting .221 on the year — steady if unspectacular.

CJ Van Eyk was recalled by the Blue Jays ahead of their weekend series against Seattle and tossed a clean inning of relief Friday against the Mariners — a full-circle moment given he was facing Raleigh's squad just days after Raleigh's historic stretch.

The Bottom Line

The Florida State pipeline continues to run deep through MLB rosters, but this week belonged entirely to Raleigh. For a player carrying the weight of a massive deal and a brutal season, four home runs in four at-bats is more than a hot streak — it's a statement. Whether it holds will go a long way toward determining whether Seattle is a postseason team in 2026.