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Brice Matthews

Brice Matthews
Houston Astros – No. 28
Infielder
Born: (2002-03-16) March 16, 2002 (age 23)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
MLB debut
July 11, 2025, for the Houston Astros
MLB statistics
(through July 28, 2025)
Batting average.143
Home runs3
Runs batted in8
Teams

Brice Andre Matthews (born March 16, 2002) is an American professional baseball infielder for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2025.

Amateur career

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Matthews attended Atascocita High School in Humble, Texas. As a junior in 2019, he hit .426 with four home runs.[1] He went unselected in the 2020 Major League Baseball draft, and enrolled at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln to play college baseball for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.[2]

As a freshman at Nebraska in 2021, Matthews started 36 games and hit .273 with five home runs and 34 RBIs.[3] As a sophomore in 2022, he hit .261 with seven home runs and 29 RBIs over 45 games.[4] During the summers of 2021 and 2022, he played in the Northwoods League for the St. Cloud Rox.[5] As a junior in 2023, Matthews hit .359 with twenty home runs and 67 RBIs over 54 games.[6][7][8]

Professional career

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The Houston Astros selected Matthews in the first round, with the 28th overall pick, in the 2023 Major League Baseball draft.[9] On July 15, 2023, Matthews signed with the Astros for $2.4 million.[10][11]

Matthews made his professional debut with the Florida Complex League Astros and, after two games, was then assigned to the Fayetteville Woodpeckers. Over 35 games between the two teams, Matthew hit .208 with four home runs and 11 RBI.[12] Matthews was assigned to the Asheville Tourists to begin 2024 and was promoted to the Corpus Christi Hooks and Sugar Land Space Cowboys during the season.[13][14] He missed time during the season due to back spasms.[15] In total for the 2024 season, Matthews played in 79 games, batting .265 with 15 home runs, 44 RBI, and 32 stolen bases.[16]

The Astros assigned Matthews to Sugar Land to open the 2025 season.[17] On May 10, 2025, Matthews hit for the cycle, the first of his career in professional baseball. He led a 12–7 win over the Salt Lake Bees and the cycle was the second in Space Cowboys franchise history.[18] He was selected to represent the Astros (alongside Alimber Santa) at the 2025 All-Star Futures Game at Truist Park.[19]

On July 11, 2025, the Astros selected Matthews' contract and promoted him to the major leagues for the first time.[20][21] At the time of his promotion, he was batting .283 with ten home runs, 39 RBI, and 25 stolen bases over 73 games with Sugar Land. Matthews made his MLB debut that night as the club's starting second baseman versus the Texas Rangers at Daikin Park;[22] he went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.[23]

Brice hit his first two major league home runs on July 21, 2025, against Zac Gallen and the Arizona Diamondbacks.[24]

References

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  1. ^ Keeler, Drake (March 21, 2021). "Black Nebraska baseball player pushes for more representation in the sport". The Daily Nebraskan.
  2. ^ "Brice Matthews' career at Nebraska by the numbers". Omaha World-Herald. July 7, 2023.
  3. ^ Hansen, Grant (February 3, 2023). "Nebraska baseball announces five captains for the 2023 season". On3.
  4. ^ "Huskers place 5th in Big Ten Preseason Baseball Poll". www.1011now.com. Nebraska Athletics. February 16, 2023.
  5. ^ "Matthews added to Northwoods League All-Star Game". www.1011now.com. Nebraska Athletics. July 18, 2022.
  6. ^ Writer, Evan Bland World-Herald Staff (July 7, 2023). "From first to late rounds, intrigue is high for Nebraska's in-state 2023 MLB draft prospects". Omaha World-Herald.
  7. ^ "Husker baseball standout Matthews makes move to pros, preparing for MLB Draft". KMTV 3 News Now Omaha. July 7, 2023.
  8. ^ Gutierrez, Marcus (July 4, 2023). "Atascocita's Brice Matthews prepares for MLB draft". Houston Chronicle.
  9. ^ Rome, Chandler (July 10, 2023). "'It's crazy': Astros bring local kid Brice Matthews home with No. 28 overall pick".
  10. ^ "Astros sign first round pick from 2023 MLB Draft". mlb.com. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  11. ^ https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/astros-top-prospects-starting-spots-for-2025?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage
  12. ^ "Road to The Show™: Astros' Brice Matthews". MiLB.com.
  13. ^ "Astros' No. 3 prospect moving up the ranks". MLB.com.
  14. ^ Vann, Leah. "Top Astros prospect promoted to Space Cowboys amid torrid stretch".
  15. ^ "Brice Matthews Has Eventful Night In Corpus Christi — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects – Baseball America". March 11, 2025.
  16. ^ Vann, Leah. "Top Houston Astros prospects to know before Spring Training".
  17. ^ https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/astros-top-prospects-starting-spots-for-2025?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage
  18. ^ Silversmith, Jordan (May 11, 2025). "Brice Matthews hits for the cycle as Sugar Land secures series win". MiLB.com. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
  19. ^ https://www.mlb.com/news/each-team-s-prospects-headed-to-2025-mlb-futures-game
  20. ^ "Astros Promote Brice Matthews". mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
  21. ^ https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/astros/article/brice-matthews-activated-20765378.php
  22. ^ https://www.mlb.com/news/brice-matthews-mlb-debut-for-hometown-astros
  23. ^ https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/45718566/astros-call-top-prospect-brice-matthews-mlb-debut
  24. ^ https://www.mlb.com/news/brice-matthews-hits-first-career-homers-vs-d-backs
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