Astros prospect hits for the cycle, but still has a long way to go before MLB debut

Brice Matthews gave Houston Astros fans a preview of coming attractions this past weekend. The Astros' top prospect hit for the cycle on Saturday, going 4-for-6 with a pair of RBI and four runs scored. Matthews began his day with double, singled in the fifth inning, tacked on the elusive triple in the seventh, and ended his day with a 427-foot home run to left-center field. It was only the second time in a player from the Sugar Land Space Cowboys had hit for the cycle and the first of Matthews' professional career.

The 23-year-old is a tantalizing prospect. Selected in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft, Matthews has elevated himself to the top of the Astros' farm system. A plus-runner with enough power to rack up 20-plus homers in a season, Matthews is on the cusp of making his major league dreams come true. But he's got several boxes that still need to be checked before making the leap to the big leagues.

Astros prospect Brice Matthews has a long way to go before MLB debut

Matthews was a two-sport athlete in high school, so the athleticism is off the charts. He does, however, lack the type of elite arm strength necessary to play shortstop at the major league level. So far this season, he's spent five games at short, but 25 of Matthews' starts have come at second base. That would seem to signal that his future is at the keystone, though some scouts foresee a move to the outfield.

Further complicating Matthews' eventual ascension to the big leagues is his troubling strikeout rate. Though he does counteract it with an above-average walk rate, Matthews struck out 31.4% of the time in the minors last season. The Athletic's Keith Law (subscription required) wrote about Matthews' inability to hit breaking balls, even when they're in the strike zone. Law also commented on Matthews struggles to catch up to high-velocity fastballs. Those troubles will certainly slow his progression to the majors.

An undefined position, too many Ks, and lack of arm strength may keep Matthews down on the farm longer than he'd like, but it's simply the reality of his current development. Saturday's performance gives rise to the idea that Matthews could make it to The Show sometime this season, but with Shay Whitcomb outperforming him in almost every statistical category, Houston has better options if the need for a young bat arises.

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