Chicago Cubs Prospect Profile: Matt Shaw |
No prospect should be deemed untouchable if the offer is right, but some prospects are as close to untouchable as possible. For the Cubs, Matt Shaw is that guy. He is not only a top-25 prospect but also the team's No. 1 overall prospect and is in a position to be on their opening-day roster in some capacity.
Not much of a prep star out of Massachusetts, Shaw committed to the University of Maryland, where he became one of the best hitters in program history. He continued to build on that in 2022, hitting .360 in the Cape Cod League before being named MVP and becoming the highest player drafted in Maryland history as the Cubs took him No. 13 overall. He would later agree to a $4.8 million dollar contract with the Cubs, and the rest is history. When you talk about a team hitting on their first-round pick, Shaw is the definition of that as the Cubs not only hit on him, but they hit on him to the point where they fast-tracked him through the Minors, and he is now an MLB-caliber player. Sure, much of that came from Shaw himself, as he has done nothing but hit since arriving in the Cubs organization. Unlike most players who take a little bit to settle in, Shaw didn't waste any time as he reached AA by the end of the 2023 campaign, hitting .357 across 38 games. Shaw added an OPS north of 1000 and an OBP of .400, as he was as good of a hitter as anyone last season. Not only was reaching base one of Shaw's strengths in 2023, but his eight homers, 28 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases put his full arsenal on display, as he was as lethal a player as anyone. Then came the 2024 season, when Shaw not only returned to AA but managed to reach AAA by mid-summer and closed out his season playing for Teams USA at the Premiere-12 Tournament. Shaw saw a massive increase in games played, going from 38 the year before playing in 121 games. There were times when it looked like he hit a wall, but like all good players, Shaw found a way to respond as he managed to hit .284 this season. What stood out even more this year was the power and speed combo, as Shaw connected for 21 homers and 71 RBIs while also stealing 31 bases. He was the only Cubs prospect to put up those numbers and was the organization's first 20-30 player in over a decade. Next for him is to have an impressive Spring as he is not only fighting for an MLB job but possibly the starting 3B or 2B job, depending on what happens with Nico Hoerner. Shaw has gone on record as saying he modeled his game and approach from Dustin Pedroia, and you can see that based on how he plays and the power he brings to the table. He is the definition of a complete hitter, as he walks the fine line between showing excellent plate discipline and being aggressive. His aggressive nature helps him turn his swing loose at any point, and the patient approach leads to loud contact as he swings at strikes more often than not. Shaw showed a massive uptick in power this past season, and he showed that power to all fields, which comes in handy at the professional level. He is also the rare breed that will hit equally well against both lefties and righties, as there is no weakness in his offensive approach up to this point. As good as his offense is, you have to look at the other parts of his game, with baserunning being a massive part. His above-average speed not only makes him a base-stealing threat, but he also gets excellent reads on the ball, which makes him a problem on the bases. Regarding his defense, Shaw has shown the ability to handle 2B/SS/3B equally well, but he saw most of his playing time at 2B and the Hot Corner last year. Although he does have the range to play anywhere on the infield, Shaw doesn't have the strongest arm, which is why many feel he will be the 2B of the future. For that to happen, the Cubs will have to cut ties with Hoerner at some point, but they don't have to do that quite yet, as there are other openings on this roster. Third base is the biggest opening right now, and Shaw will be given every opportunity to win that job in camp this Spring. Whatever happens after that will be up to Shaw and the Cubs, as he will be the first of many impactful pieces over the next six months.
