February 24, 2026

Houston Astros top prospect Brice Matthews could find a path to an early role on the 2026 MLB roster. While Matthews progressed through the minor leagues as a shortstop, the team has already begun to shift him to the outfield, as the Houston infield is quite crowded. Last summer, Matthews spent his entire time in the infield (in both the majors and minors), but with Carlos Correa back on the roster, Jeremy Pena locked in as the everyday shortstop, and Jose Altuve returning to the keystone, the only path for him to see consistent at-bats is in the outfield. In 2025, the former 28th overall pick made his MLB debut but appeared in just 13 games. During this brief stint, Matthews flashed his raw potential, hitting four home runs while swiping one base. Across 112 games at Triple-A Sugar Land, Matthews held a strong .260/.371/.458 line with 18 doubles, 17 home runs, and 41 stolen bases. Given that he is moving to a new position, managers should expect Matthews to begin the campaign back at Triple-A. However, given Houston's lack of depth in the outfield, with both Cam Smith and Zach Cole likely to have Opening Day roles despite their previous inconsistencies, Matthews may push for a return to Houston much sooner than expected. He is a sneaky stash candidate in deeper formats and holds solid sleeper appeal in 15-team leagues as he should contribute to all five standard categories once he earns the call at his current 686.4 ADP on NFBC drafts (since February 1). If Matthews looks comfortable in his transition to the outfield during spring training, he should push for an early-season promotion.--Andy Smith