Only One Astros Prospect Cracks Recent Top-100 Rankings

There really isn't much left for Matthews to prove now in the Minors after the year he just had, as he was a true nightmare for pitchers at the plate and defenses as a whole. Matthews put his athleticism on full display, especially when he kept stealing bases.

• .260 Batting Average
• .371 On-Base Percentage
• .458 Slugging Percentage
• .829 OPS
• 70 Runs
• 109 Total Hits
• 18 Doubles
• 7 Triples
• 17 Home Runs
• 67 RBI
• 70 Drawn Walks
• 41 Stolen Bases

Matthews did make his debut to the majors this year in July, but he didn't stay on the roster long, as he didn't look much like the same player that was seen in Triple-A. He only made 47 plate appearances and he struck out in 43% of them while slashing a .167/.222/.452.

Even though his overall debut didn't go as he and the organization had hoped, there were definite signs of greatness, and only using him in 13 games makes it seem like he didn't really get a chance to find his groove at the plate in the majors.

In a pair of games against the Arizona Diamondbacks, he went three-for-eight with three home runs, seven RBI, and 12 total bases. When he was struggling, he was definitely struggling, but one has to assume he was fairly nervous and maybe took on too much of a load with the injuries that the Astros were dealing with.

Now, Jose Altuve was primarily the second baseman this year, so it is easy to argue that he should have been there as he finished the year batting .265, but he is able to play in the outfield as well and pretty much anywhere the Astros need him.

With Altuve's dynamic on defense, it wouldn't be surprising to see Matthews on the opening day roster at second base, as he doesn't have much left to gain staying in Triple-A.

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