Former Nebraska baseball star Brice Matthews has had a whirlwind experience in his first few years as a professional baseball player. On Monday, his career took another step forward, and the player took another step towards being called up to the Major Leagues when he was named on the MLB Futures Game roster as one of two representatives of the Houston Astros organization.
Matthews will now take part in a group of 25 prospects on the American League roster set to compete against the opposing 25 prospects for the National League roster. The game is part of the Major League All-Star break and he will get to show off what he can do on July 12.
Ex-Nebraska standout Brice Matthews lands on AL Futures roster
Matthews was a first-round pick following his junior season with Nebraska baseball in 2023, getting selected at No. 28 overall by the Astros.
When he was selected, Matthews became the highest-selected former Husker since 2005 and was Nebraska's first first-round selection since 2006.
It's not a massive surprise that Brice Matthews is making quite a bit of noise in the minor leagues. His Nebraska career alone showed someone who was very ready to play at the next level.
Before being named a second-team All-American, Matthews became the first player in program history and the second player all-time in the Big Ten to reach 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a season.
Matthews reached base safely in the first 52 games of the 2023 season to extend his on-base streak to 55 games. He finished his final year in Lincoln hitting .359 with 11 doubles, two triples, and 20 home runs. Those numbers earned him an All-Big Ten selection.
This season, Matthews is slashing .285/.403/.492/.895 with 10 homers and 23 steals. Over parts of three seasons in the minors, Matthews has 73 steals and 29 home runs.
Nebraska baseball should be pretty proud of where Matthews is in his career. It doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility that he'll finish the 2025 season in Houston.