The Chicago Cubs believe they found a real one in Matt Shaw.
It’s hard not to think that after seeing the success Shaw has had throughout the Cubs’ organization since coming aboard as the team’s no. 1 draft pick in 2023.
The now-23-year-old batted his way to top prospect status in the loaded Cubs farm system, pushing his way through every level en route to his major league debut this season.
Ending his minor league run with a combined .303 batting average, MLB.com went to the highest mountaintop in their scouting report, declaring that the Springfield, MA native “has no discernible weakness” when it comes to his offensive prowess.
Even the doubts surrounding his defense as an everyday third baseman had been mostly paved smooth by the time spring training came to an end, with solid Cactus League play and assurances from those who’ve worked with him.
Chicago Cubs Were Always Set On Matt Shaw At Third Base
Chicago’s confidence in Shaw was so high that, despite comments to the contrary, they all but handed the full-time third base gig to him well before he actually began his rookie campaign. A half-measure stab at picking up free agent Alex Bregman only slightly distracted from what was an inevitability.
But the road to success is not an easy one at the major league level and Shaw currently finds himself hitting below the Mendoza line.
“This league is really hard,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer recently told Marquee Sports Network. “It’s harder to break in as a young player than it has been a long time.”
Matt Shaw, Set Up To Succeed?
Apr 5, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs catcher Carson Kelly (15) high fives Matt Shaw (6) and second baseman Nico Hoerner (2) after he hit a three run home run against the San Diego Padres during the sixth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
Struggles and travails, however, are to be expected for young players getting their first major league experience. And if Shaw has to take some lumps, it’s certainly a good thing that he does so as the team is winning and as teammates all around him light things up with stellar showings. Learning without a spotlight shining so brightly in his face takes away a good amount of the pressure.
Hoyer seems to agree with that assessment.
“I thought last year, one of the things that we struggled with in the first half of the season was [Miguel] Amaya was struggling and Pete [Crow-Armstrong] was struggling and we didn’t have the rest of the lineup sort of covering for that,” Hoyer said. “And hopefully this year, guys like Pete and Amaya, they’re further advanced, and Shaw, right now, is the only young guy in the lineup, and hopefully they can, like I said, they can give him some cover to grow, because he’ll get there. It’s gonna take some time.”
Tough Times Make Great Players
As Shaw works to learn the ins and outs of big league pitching, he can still contribute to the team with his speed and his improving defense. This is immeasurably helpful to the sometimes fragile psyche of a high-profile rookie.
“He’s going to have some tough games, that’s part of this process,” Hoyer added. “But I also think he’s going to contribute while he’s doing that. You see him run the bases. He’s made some really good defensive plays. He’s had some big hits for us. But it’s not going to be a perfectly smooth ride.
“I think he has the makeup and the work ethic and just to know how to make some adjustments along the way.”
By all indications, Shaw is the real deal and that should be made evident at some point in the future.
For now, however, he’s a young work in progress, fortunately learning his craft on a team not desperately in need of what he might someday become.
This is as close to an “everybody wins” scenario as possible when it comes to breaking a top prospect into every day major league play.
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