Chicago Cubs still pondering opening day status of top prospect

The Chicago Cubs are bullish on top prospect Matt Shaw, but they’re also in no hurry to push things further than they need to be pushed.

The Cubs organization began spring training with a bit of egg on their collective faces as they lost out on a bid to bring free agent third baseman Alex Bregman to Chicago. After an offseason where they had not expressed interest in the former Houston Astros all-star and where they were leaning into Shaw as their every day third baseman, the swerve to Bregman was a surprise to many.

And when Bregman signed a three-year, $120 million contract with the Boston Red Sox, swerving back to Shaw was a bit jarring.

But, as the saying goes, it is what it is.

Chicago Cubs Unsure Of Matt Shaw Opening Day Status

Unfortunately, Shaw’s oblique issues at the beginning of the Cactus League forced him to sit out the first ten days of his most crucial spring training. After having just barely entered back into the fray at 100%, the Cubs’ no. 1 prospect has just nine plate appearances– eleven days before the Cubs face the Los Angeles Dodgers in their historic opening day series starting March 18.

According to reports, the Cubs are still undecided as to what to do with Shaw ahead of the earlier-than-usual opening day. Manager Craig Counsell has described the situation as “fluid” to media.

In a piece for The Athletic, Patrick Mooney writes that the Cubs are still sold on Shaw as their every day third baseman and they feel he will be a starter for the team this year in the foreseeable future. They just haven’t decided on whether he’ll make the trip to Japan for the two-game Dodgers series.

Shaw’s Quick Rise

But, ultimately, there is no rush with the 23-year-old Shaw, who has gone from being a first round draft pick in 2023 to success at every level of the Cubs farm system in just two full years.

“He’s figured out every level he’s gone to,” Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty told The Athletic. “He’s found a way to master it pretty quickly. There will probably be growing pains early in the year, but the track record shows that he’ll adjust quickly.”

A look at Shaw’s minor league stats shows just how quickly he’s learned and moved on to next-level success.

All in all, the University of Maryland product has played in a total of 159 professional games, with only 35 of them at the Triple-A level. He’s also only played 88 games at third base, total, between college and the minors.

That is remarkably little experience for someone already favored to win a starting gig in the majors, especially for a team with postseason aspirations. He’s advanced so quickly that he’s not even on the Cubs’ 40-man roster yet.

He’s A Natural

Shaw’s numbers, however, support his rapid climb up the ranks. All together, the young talent has a .303 batting average with 29 home runs and 46 stolen bases. And, on top of that, his defensive prowess has continued to improve, as he’s moved from a jack of all trades positional nomad to a dedicated third baseman.

In short, Shaw is a natural.

“He’s got a really slow heartbeat,” Flaherty added. “You watch him in the on-deck circle, it’s like: ‘Are you really ready to hit right now?’ He’s got that calmness and confidence in himself and the way he prepares. He’s got a ton of confidence without being too cocky.”

It would certainly be a nice scrapbook moment for Shaw to play in Japan on the 18th and 19th, but the Cubs are going to make their decision based on what’s best for him and the team beyond those two days.

Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chicago-cubs-matt-shaw-opening-day?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=chicago-cubs-matt-shaw-opening-day