Recapping Matt Shaw’s Return to the Big Leagues
The Cubs capped off another successful road trip with a pair of series wins in Miami and Cincinnati, returning to Chicago with a 4–2 record on the road trip and an overall record of 32–21.
In three of those games, the Cubs scored more than ten runs.
The big storyline of the week, however, came from the bottom of the lineup, as Matt Shaw returned to the team after a brief stint in Triple-A.
Matt Shaw’s Return
PHOTO: Patrick Gorski/Imagn Images
Going into the 2025 season, there was a lot of hype surrounding the young third base prospect. Ranked the No. 1 prospect in the Cubs’ farm system and No. 18 overall on MLB Pipeline, Shaw’s potential was through the roof. However, over the first three weeks of the season, he struggled mightily at the plate, posting a slash line of .172/.294/.241, with an OPS of .535 and a wRC+ of 62. This dismal start prompted manager Craig Counsell to send him back down to Triple-A to work on his swing—a smart move, as it was evident that the young prospect was losing confidence at the dish.
After being demoted, the Cubs relied on a total of four different utility players to man the hot corner. These players consisted of Jon Berti, Vidal Bruján, Nicky Lopez, and Gage Workman. Craig Counsell would often shuffle these four guys around at third base and almost always had them bat ninth in the order. None of them provided any spark in the offense, and they were liabilities on defense. These two factors led to a combined fWAR of -0.8, meaning that they were all costing the team both at the plate and on defense. While the rest of the offense was picking up the slack, a change was necessary at the position.
Down in Triple-A, Matt Shaw was raking, posting a slash line of .286/.409/.560 with an OPS of .969.
His retooled batting stance was vital to his success, as standing closer to the plate and eliminating his leg kick helped him with contact and improved timing.
These changes helped him dominate at that level and earned him a recall to join the team in Miami for their series against the Marlins.
In his first week back in the major leagues, Shaw proved that his time in Triple-A was well spent, as he made an instant impact. His slash line was elite, sitting at .360/.385/.560 with an OPS of .945 and a wRC+ of 165. On top of that, his defense improved mightily, making difficult plays look routine.
The Matt Shaw that we are seeing now is everything that I could have imagined him being.
An above-average defender at third with tons of upside at the plate, I expect this to be the norm for him going forward as the season rolls on.
What’s Next
The Cubs open up another homestand, featuring a series against the Colorado Rockies and the same Cincinnati Reds team they just faced.
One series should be an easy sweep, while the other is definitely one the Cubs can take two of three from.
It will be interesting to see if the Cubs can make any noise in the conference standings this week.
PHOTO: Patrick Gorski/Imagn Images
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