Houston Astros fans are very familiar with top prospect Brice Matthews at this point. The Astros' 2023 first-round pick out of Nebraska quickly ascended the minor leagues. For a moment, it looked like Houston had a potential star infielder on their hands. Matthews' .829 OPS at Triple-A last season wasn't overwhelming dominance, but still extremely solid, and Matthews impressed during his brief stint in the majors.
However, Matthews' path to a big league roster spot with the Astros is complicated at the moment. In the second part of his Q&A for The Athletic, Astros insider Chandler Rome broke down Matthews' status in the organization and wondered aloud as to how the team would handle him.