Brice Matthews
{{Short description|American baseball player (born 2002)}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name = Brice Matthews
|image =
|team = Houston Astros
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|position = Infielder
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|2002|03|16}}
|birth_place = Houston, Texas, U.S.
|bats = Right
|throws = Right
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Brice Andre Matthews (born March 16, 2002) is an American professional baseball infielder in the Houston Astros organization.
Amateur career
Matthews attended Atascocita High School in Humble, Texas. As a junior in 2019, he hit .426 with four home runs.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailynebraskan.com/diversity_inclusion/black-nebraska-baseball-player-pushes-for-more-representation-in-the-sport/article_afd3c71c-8855-11eb-b594-cbad3dc97319.html|title=Black Nebraska baseball player pushes for more representation in the sport|first=Drake|last=Keeler|date=March 21, 2021|website=The Daily Nebraskan}} He went unselected in the 2020 Major League Baseball draft, and enrolled at the University of Nebraska.{{Cite web|url=https://omaha.com/video/sports/brice-matthews-career-at-nebraska-by-the-numbers/video_0b2c8ce9-6fc8-5ff0-a79d-c7ee9ee99383.html|title=Brice Matthews' career at Nebraska by the numbers|date=July 7, 2023|website=Omaha World-Herald}}
As a freshman at Nebraska in 2021, Matthews started 36 games and hit .273 with five home runs and 34 RBIs.{{Cite web|url=https://www.on3.com/teams/nebraska-cornhuskers/news/nebraska-baseball-announces-five-captains-for-the-2023-season/|title=Nebraska baseball announces five captains for the 2023 season|first=Grant|last=Hansen|date=February 3, 2023|website=On3}} As a sophomore in 2022, he hit .261 with seven home runs and 29 RBIs over 45 games.{{Cite web|url=https://www.1011now.com/2023/02/16/huskers-place-5th-big-ten-preseason-baseball-poll/|title=Huskers place 5th in Big Ten Preseason Baseball Poll|first=Nebraska|last=Athletics|date=February 16, 2023|website=www.1011now.com}} During the summers of 2021 and 2022, he played in the Northwoods League for the St. Cloud Rox.{{Cite web|url=https://www.1011now.com/2022/07/18/matthews-added-northwoods-league-all-star-game/|title=Matthews added to Northwoods League All-Star Game|first=Nebraska|last=Athletics|date=July 18, 2022|website=www.1011now.com}} As a junior in 2023, Matthews hit .359 with twenty home runs and 67 RBIs over 54 games.{{Cite web|url=https://omaha.com/sports/huskers/baseball/from-first-to-late-rounds-intrigue-is-high-for-nebraskas-in-state-2023-mlb-draft/article_a806ee67-3b3c-5edc-bbe2-4630667919a2.html|title=From first to late rounds, intrigue is high for Nebraska's in-state 2023 MLB draft prospects|first=Evan Bland World-Herald Staff|last=Writer|date=July 7, 2023|website=Omaha World-Herald}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.3newsnow.com/sports/husker-baseball-standout-matthews-makes-move-to-pros-preparing-for-mlb-draft|title=Husker baseball standout Matthews makes move to pros, preparing for MLB Draft|date=July 7, 2023|website=KMTV 3 News Now Omaha}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/hs-sports/article/atascocita-brice-matthews-mlb-draft-18183383.php|title=Atascocita's Brice Matthews prepares for MLB draft|first=Marcus|last=Gutierrez|date=July 4, 2023|website=Houston Chronicle}}
Professional career
Matthews was selected by the Houston Astros in the first round with the 28th overall pick in the 2023 Major League Baseball draft.{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4678554/2023/07/10/astros-brice-matthews-local-draft-pick/ | title='It's crazy': Astros bring local kid Brice Matthews home with No. 28 overall pick | last1=Rome | first1=Chandler |date=July 10, 2023}} On July 15, 2023, Matthews signed with the Astros for $2.4 million.{{Cite web|title=Astros sign first round pick from 2023 MLB Draft|url=https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-astros-sign-first-round-pick-from-2023-mlb-draft|access-date=July 15, 2023|website=mlb.com|language=en}}https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/astros-top-prospects-starting-spots-for-2025?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage
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 RBIs.{{Cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/news/road-to-the-showtm-houston-astros-prospect-brice-matthews|title=Road to The Show™: Astros’ Brice Matthews|website=MiLB.com}} 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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/brice-matthews-gets-promoted-to-double-a|title=Astros' No. 3 prospect moving up the ranks|website=MLB.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.chron.com/sports/astros/article/brice-matthews-astros-prospect-19754710.php|title=Top Astros prospect promoted to Space Cowboys amid torrid stretch|first=Leah|last=Vann}} He missed time during the season due to back spasms.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/bba_prospect_report/brice-matthews-has-eventful-night-in-corpus-christi/|title=Brice Matthews Has Eventful Night In Corpus Christi — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects – Baseball America|date=March 11, 2025}} In total for the 2024 season, Matthews played in 79 games, batting .265 with 15 home runs, 44 RBIs, and 32 stolen bases.{{Cite web|url=https://www.chron.com/sports/astros/article/astros-prospects-spring-training-20041133.php|title=Top Houston Astros prospects to know before Spring Training|first=Leah|last=Vann}}
Matthews was assigned to Sugar Land to open the 2025 season.https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/astros-top-prospects-starting-spots-for-2025?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage 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.{{cite news |last=Silversmith |first=Jordan |url=https://www.milb.com/sugar-land/news/brice-matthews-hits-for-cycle-5-10-25-sl-joe-hudson-two-hr |title=Brice Matthews hits for the cycle as Sugar Land secures series win |work=MiLB.com |date=May 11, 2025 |access-date=May 12, 2025}} He was selected to represent the Astros (alongside Alimber Santa) at the 2025 All-Star Futures Game at Truist Park.https://www.mlb.com/news/each-team-s-prospects-headed-to-2025-mlb-futures-game
References
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External links
{{Baseballstats|brm=matthe000bri}}
{{2023 MLB Draft}}
{{Houston Astros first-round draft picks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matthews, Brice}}
Category:African-American baseball players
Category:Baseball players from Houston
Category:Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball players
Category:Corpus Christi Hooks players
Category:21st-century American sportsmen
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