Don’t look now, but Brice Matthews is finally figuring things out with Astros after dreadful start

The Houston Astros really did Brice Matthews no favors. Sure, the 24-year-old got his feet wet last season, but a 13-game stretch was hardly enough to grab a toe-hold. This year, he broke camp with the big league club despite no clear pathway to playing time. That meant the difficulty was turned up to 11 for the former top prospect, as he balanced some reps at his familiar home at second base with outfield duty. Matthews struggled to handle it all.

Now, though, he might be hitting his stride. After a 0-for-11 stretch, Matthews had a big game on April 28 against the Baltimore Orioles, recording three hits, including a double and a homer. The homer was one of those opposite-field laser shots that left the bat at 109.7 miles per hour, something that only special hitters can do. We thought it might foreshadow a breakout.

Including that performance against the Orioles, Matthews has heated up. It's been seven games, and he's slashing .333/.387/.593 with two homers and a steal. It's encouraging, and if he continues to produce night in and night out, he'll be just fine, even if there are still some things that need to be cleaned up.

Brice Matthews is heating up, but there are still a couple of things the Astros' youngster must address

First, let's talk about what might have helped Matthews gain his footing. Houston's unfortunate injury situation has laid waste to its outfield (to say nothing of the pitching staff), which has helped Matthews find a home in center. Previously, he'd seen time at second base, left field, and even third base. Over this last stretch, he's played center in six out of the seven games.

Matthews explosive athleticism plays well in center, even if he's still learning the nuances of tracking fly balls. He made an incredible leaping catch to rob Willson Contreras of an extra-base hit in Boston, which not only showed off his potential in center but also let us all in on the fact that he really likes water.

Overall, the defense is still a work in progress and needs to be straightened out, but there are encouraging signs.

On the other hand, there is still a pressing concern with his offensive profile. Matthews' contact rate can be sketchy, and sitting at 74.4% on the season has him well below where one would feel comfortable. That manifests itself in an exorbitant strikeout rate.

Even with the recent hot stretch, his strikeout rate is sitting at an unmanageable 35.8%. Over his last seven games, it came down slightly, but still sat at 29%. Matthews has posted a .980 OPS over this recent hot streak, a number that is unlikely to be sustainable. If that's coming at a 29% clip, which is at the borderline of acceptability, when he's red-hot, it's likely to rise when he's not at his absolute best.

That will be a problem if not addressed. If he continues to whiff at that high a rate, it will be extremely difficult for him to consistently perform.

So while this recent stretch should have Astros fans feeling optimistic, Matthews still has work to do. The good news is, he's an immensely talented ball player with all the tools necessary to be an impact player. He just needs to put it together. The next few weeks will be key to seeing if he's making the slow and steady progress required to truly establish himself as a quality major leaguer.

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