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.