HUMBLE, Texas -- Brice Matthews scribbled his name on a pink cast, a few pairs of shoes, a baseball, some Astros jerseys and even across a student’s forehead. He could never have imagined a moment like this a few years ago, especially during his freshman year at Atascocita High School, when he was 95 pounds and the smallest player on the football team.
In the same gym where Matthews spent many hours working out with his teammates, the 23-year-old was the man of the hour during a pep rally Friday in which the No. 3 jersey he wore as a member of the Atascocita baseball team was retired. The Astros’ No. 1 prospect has come a long way since he was a two-sport star at the school where he graduated in 2020.
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“You always dream of these things, but you never expect them to happen. But it’s great,” Matthews said. “It means the world, for sure.”
After being presented with the jersey at the end of a pep rally in front of about 4,000 loud students, Matthews took the microphone and thanked his coaches and teachers for supporting him. And he told the students to enjoy every moment, ask questions and be a good person. It was then that a student yelled, “I love you!” from the bleachers.
“I love you, too,” Matthews said with a smile.
Sitting nearby were his parents, Stephen and Edrice Matthews, who were beaming with pride. Also in attendance was his sister, Blake, who works for the Astros and was just as proud as her parents.
“He’s never had a day off, and he is very proud of this school, his coaches, his principals,” Edrice Matthews said. “It just means the world to see all his hard work and still being connected to the school. From the day he was drafted, he never stopped returning and would hit with his coaches, talk with his coaches. It’s just amazing to me to see his number retired.”
A product of the Houston Astros MLB Youth Academy and the MLB Develops program who this year participated in the Rookie Career Development Program, Brice Matthews was a first-round Draft pick (28th overall) out of the University of Nebraska in 2023 as a shortstop, and last year he was called up to the Major Leagues one day before he was set to play in the All-Star Futures Game. In the Majors, he homered three times in a two-game span in Arizona from July 21-22, and he posted a .674 OPS with four homers in 47 plate appearances.
The kid from Humble (silent H) remains as humble as ever.
“That’s all I wanted to do as a kid, play baseball and football,” Matthews said. “And to do it at a high level here with my best friends, it was so much fun. To be able to have the coaches I have that always believed in me each and every day, they always knew where my heart was. I’m super grateful for them for keeping me on the right track and letting me have fun.”
Stephen Matthews said remaining grounded in the community that raised you is something he has stressed to his children. Brice has taken it to heart.
“As a family, we’ve always been big on giving back and recognizing where you are and being where you are, and understanding there’s many different ways to get to where you want to be at,” Stephen Matthews said. “But to be able to tap into the local coaches, whether it’s at the Academy or travel ball coaches, and just understanding that you have to be able to learn from many different coaches in order to get to where you want to be … it’s beautiful to see.”
Still, Brice Matthews has to prove himself again. He’ll come to Spring Training with the Astros in two weeks looking to make his first Opening Day roster. Matthews will play some second base and center field, and he will compete like he did from the first day he set foot on the high school field where his jersey is now painted on the outfield wall.
“I’m just trying to get on the field,” Matthews said. “I’m a competitor at heart. That’s what I love to do. I love to be on the field wherever it is, and I think I can make a difference.”