Is he ready to be the difference maker?
The Houston Astros’ top-ranked prospect and # 98 across MLB, second baseman Brice Mathews, will debut for the walking (and/or critically) wounded Astros, getting his call-up from Triple-A Sugar Land today.
Matthews’ arrival in the major leagues will knock him out of Saturday’s MLB All-Star Futures Game at Atlanta after he was selected following a productive first half at Sugar Land. The 23-year-old batted .283 with an .876 OPS, 10 home runs and 39 RBIs in 73 games, while his 25 stolen bases are fourth in the Pacific Coast League.
Potentially, a high ceiling, five-tool superstar with outstanding speed and power, the main question surrounding Mathews’ future is his issues with contact and strikeout rate, problems that kept him at Sugarland until the plethora of injuries on the Astros forced him into service.
Further moves are expected on the Astros roster as Mathews was not on the 40-man, but those have not been announced at this time.