Matt Shaw is well aware of the opportunity that awaits him this season. The Chicago Cubs traded away presumed starting third baseman Isaac Paredes to acquire Kyle Tucker. Of the 1,432 1/3 innings they got from various third basemen, only Luis Vázquez (12 innings) and Michael Busch (1 1/3 innings and locked in at first base) return to the organization this season.
“Having an opportunity to play third base for any team, especially the Cubs, for me is amazing,” Shaw told reporters Saturday at Cubs Convention. “It’s exciting.”
The Cubs could use Shaw’s expectedly potent bat in the lineup, and with the new rules, they could benefit by getting an extra MLB Draft pick if Shaw is on the roster to start the season, earns a full season of service time and wins Rookie of the Year or finishes top-three for MVP.
For Shaw, the biggest question entering last season was his defense at third. He was a shortstop in college, but many scouts felt his arm would eventually shift him to second. But with Nico Hoerner there and under contract for the next two seasons, Shaw didn’t have a clear path to playing time at the position. So learning third was the focus.
Though early returns on his play there were suspect, scouts now see the hard work paying off. His arm might never be plus there, but he has all the other tools to be a strong defender at the hot corner.
“I would say footwork is a really big one for me,” Shaw said about what has improved. “Using some of my strengths, which is being able to be quick and having quick feet. Something that Nick Madrigal did a really good job of was using his feet well to get that ball over the first base. There are guys with better arms, but just being able to utilize some things that I have going for me, like quick feet, is going to be really good for third base.”
Shaw said he watched videos of Nolan Arenado and Alex Bregman. Both are top-tier defenders who are built differently physically and get to their plus defense in different ways.
“Those guys are two Gold Glove third basemen that field in very different ways,” Shaw said. “Being able to watch those guys and build your defensive premise around those guys is kind of what I’m doing right now.”
All eyes will be on Shaw and his defense when he makes his MLB debut. “He’s obviously going to play a lot for us,” team president Jed Hoyer said, so nobody is hiding the ball there. But his offense is under less scrutiny.
Shaw consistently had an OPS over 1.000 in college, both at Maryland and in the Cape Cod League. In his professional debut in 2023, he posted a 1.018 OPS across three levels. Last summer, he continued to produce, delivering a 148 wRC+ at Double A and a 142 wRC+ at Triple A.
At the Premier 12, an international competition held last fall, Shaw continued to rake. Still, some talent evaluators wonder if his pronounced leg kick will lead to his being exposed at the highest level.
THREE-RUN, RUN-RULE, WALK-OFF BOMB!
MATT SHAW IS FROM ANOTHER PLANET!#Premier12 pic.twitter.com/HbplDV0eoI
— USA Baseball (@USABaseball) November 11, 2024
“It’s not an issue until it becomes an issue,” hitting coach Dustin Kelly said. “I’d be doing him a disservice by saying it’s not going to work at the big-league level because I don’t know that until it doesn’t work. Would that be the first thing we’d talk about if there’s some struggles? Maybe. I don’t know. But it’s definitely not something I’m concerned about right now.”
“That makes a lot of sense to me,” Shaw said when told Kelly isn’t looking to change what’s worked for him for years. “That’s the right way to approach it. There’s guys that have had leg kicks; there’s guys that haven’t. I’m not sure you would have said Kevin Youkilis going through the minor leagues was going to be who he was. There’s a lot of ways to hit. Like DK said, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. Definitely exciting to hear that and have confidence from our hitting guys.”
As with defense, different players find success in different ways. Shaw explained why a leg kick works for him.
“The leg kick has been very natural,” he said. “I’ve done it for my entire life. It’s something that helps me time, but at the same time, it lets me adjust my timing if need be. Some people like the toe tap; I think those people might have some longer levers too. Look at (Shohei) Ohtani. He’s waiting back, and he’s so long and strong — he can hit a curveball and fastball, and you can see how much time he has. A guy with shorter levers, like me, Bregman or even (Mike) Trout, who’s got real short arms, you can see that their leg kicks or timing mechanisms are a little different. They don’t have the luxury of just foot down and hitting everything. The leg kick gives you easier timing to adjust pitch to pitch.”
Shaw isn’t comparing himself to Bregman or Trout exactly; he is just pointing out how if your timing is right, the mechanics, unorthodox or not, can work.
One thing the Cubs and anyone who has worked with Shaw is certain about is that work ethic won’t be what keeps Shaw from thriving. Hoyer, who isn’t alone in this opinion, likes to compare his makeup to that of Hoerner. Shaw might have more offensive upside, but being compared to Hoerner in this manner is high praise.
“That means the world to me,” Shaw said. “You always hope those things are seen and heard about because that’s important to the player and who they are as a person. And inevitably, hopefully, the team.
“That’s what Nico sets for us — being that work-ethic guy that really gets out there and grinds. It brings others with him. I hope to emulate what I do off of Nico, for sure.”
Ultimately, who Shaw can be on the field for this team and in the clubhouse remains to be seen. But expectations for a player who has emerged as the organization’s top prospect are high. In a season in which the playoffs feel like a must, Shaw will be a focal point as he tries to lock down a position of need.
He knows nothing will be given to him. But with his talent and the desire he shows to be great, perhaps he can live up to the hype.
“At the end of the day, the big leagues is the big leagues,” Shaw said. “No matter how much the opportunity may present itself, you still gotta earn that spot. Hopefully, given that opportunity, I’ll be able to kind of show what I got and be able to earn that position.”
(Photo: Gene Wang / Getty Images)
