Inside the Astros

Only One Astros Prospect Cracks Recent Top-100 Rankings

The Houston Astros don't have many options in the farm system, but at least one is doing well.
Maddy Dickens|
Jul 22, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Houston Astros shortstop Brice Matthews against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
Jul 22, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Houston Astros shortstop Brice Matthews against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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Houston Astros

The Houston Astros have a very thin farm system and are looking to find wins with their current roster, as they only had one player in Bleacher Report's Top-100 Prospect Rankings and he was ranked No.96, second baseman Brice Matthews.

Matthews was drafted in 2023 (by the Astros) and immediately jumped into the minors, but this was his first time suiting up in more than 100 games. Despite struggling when he initially worked his way up to Triple-A last year, he excelled in the league for the entire 2025 season.

2025 for the 23-Year-Old Standout

Matthews swinging a bat against the Arizona Diamondbacks in an orange uniform in Phoeni
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

There really isn't much left for Matthews to prove now in the Minors after the year he just had, as he was a true nightmare for pitchers at the plate and defenses as a whole. Matthews put his athleticism on full display, especially when he kept stealing bases.

  • .260 Batting Average
  • .371 On-Base Percentage
  • .458 Slugging Percentage
  • .829 OPS
  • 70 Runs
  • 109 Total Hits
  • 18 Doubles
  • 7 Triples
  • 17 Home Runs
  • 67 RBI
  • 70 Drawn Walks
  • 41 Stolen Bases

Matthews did make his debut to the majors this year in July, but he didn't stay on the roster long, as he didn't look much like the same player that was seen in Triple-A. He only made 47 plate appearances and he struck out in 43% of them while slashing a .167/.222/.452.

Even though his overall debut didn't go as he and the organization had hoped, there were definite signs of greatness, and only using him in 13 games makes it seem like he didn't really get a chance to find his groove at the plate in the majors.

In a pair of games against the Arizona Diamondbacks, he went three-for-eight with three home runs, seven RBI, and 12 total bases. When he was struggling, he was definitely struggling, but one has to assume he was fairly nervous and maybe took on too much of a load with the injuries that the Astros were dealing with.

Now, Jose Altuve was primarily the second baseman this year, so it is easy to argue that he should have been there as he finished the year batting .265, but he is able to play in the outfield as well and pretty much anywhere the Astros need him.

With Altuve's dynamic on defense, it wouldn't be surprising to see Matthews on the opening day roster at second base, as he doesn't have much left to gain staying in Triple-A.

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Maddy Dickens
MADDY DICKENS

Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.

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