This Houston Astros Prospect Is Getting Prepped To Be Jose Altuve's Replacement

Keep an eye on the rise of this star prospect who the Houston Astros seem to be prepping to become Jose Altuve's replacement.

Hooks' Brice Matthews exits the tunnel onto the field before the game against the Amarillo Sod Poodles at Whataburger Field on Thursday, August 1, 2024, in Corpus Christi, Texas / Angela Piazza/Caller-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Houston Astros don't have a strong farm system.

Well, at least in the eyes of evaluators like MLB Pipeline or Baseball America.

Their pipeline is routinely ranked near the bottom of the rankings, but despite that, it always seems like there are homegrown difference makers who reach the Majors, most recently Jeremy Pena, Hunter Brown and Spencer Arrighetti.

Whether that's by luck or being great at development, Houston didn't want to take any chances when it came to the future viability of their franchise, and that's why they hired Dana Brown to become their general manager.

With his scouting background, rebuilding their pipeline is going to be a primary goal of his, something he accomplished when landing Cam Smith from the Chicago Cubs in the Kyle Tucker deal, a move that looks brilliant based on what the star prospect has done during spring training.

But Smith isn't the only one who seems destined to be a future face of the franchise.

Brice Matthews, the Astros' first-round pick in 2023, is now considered the second-best prospect in their farm system after reaching Triple-A in his first full season of professional baseball last year despite dealing with some back problems.

Houston extended him an invite to their Major League camp, and while he's not generating headlines with his offensive numbers like Smith is, he's also hit a double and triple as part of his three hits in 16 at-bats this spring, showcasing his elite speed.

Those numbers don't tell the whole story, either.

It sounds like the Astros are prepping the 23-year-old star prospect to become Jose Altuve's replacement, giving him work at second base for the first time in extended fashion.

"He's looked fantastic on and off the field. He's come in confident, he's shown some leadership abilities. He's playing second right now, which he didn't play last year. And he looks great at second," senior director of player development and performance science Jacob Buffa said to Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com.

For reference, Matthews has only played in two games at second base during his minor league career, both coming in 2024 with their Double-A affiliate with one of them being a start.

He's tripled that number during spring training.

Having Matthews transition to second base full time would be huge for this organization going forward, especially with Altuve already moving into left field to boost that unit and mask his declining defense in the infield.

Matthews is also a local kid from the suburbs of Houston, so if anyone can become the next face of this franchise, the youngster could be it.

He will be someone to keep an eye on this year.

If he performs well in the minors, there's a real shot he could be playing second base for the Astros at some point during the 2025 season.

Recommended Articles

•

Houston Astros Manager Says Team Is Considering Top Prospect for Opening Day

•

Houston Astros Could Have Multiple AL Cy Young Candidates On Their Roster

•

Houston Astros Starting Pitcher Shut Down With Sore Throwing Elbow

•

Is Jose Altuve Among the Worst Left Fielders to Ever Play in MLB?

•

Former Houston Astros Third Baseman Says He Almost Joined Different AL Team