When the Astros selected Matthew Barefoot out of Campbell in 2019, he was mainly interesting as an oddity- he played for a team called the Camels, he batted righty and threw lefty, and had a super-funky setup in the box, which can be seen below, featuring a wide-open stance and lots of pre-swing motion. In general, this level of funk would be seen as a blemish, but Barefoot managed to post a OPS figures over .900 in all of his college seasons AND his Cape Cod League appearance using the unorthodox approach, evidence of terrific hand-eye coordination. As a result, some clubs (including the Astros) likely felt that they might be able to tap into greater upside by simplifying Barefoot’s movements, which gave his profile some intrigue.
Matthew Barefoot, Changed for the Better, is Surging
