After just 18 games in the majors, Chicago Cubs No. 1 prospect and No. 18 overall, Matt Shaw, is not having the rookie year he hoped for.
Shaw surged through the Cubs’ farm system in two years, seeing action in 159 minor league games before making his MLB debut. In 2024, Shaw posted a .284 average with 21 home runs and 31 stolen bases in 443 at-bats across Double and Triple-A, good enough to make the Opening Day roster this season. Known for his excellent bat-to-ball skills, keen eye at the plate, ample power and plus speed, Cubs’ fans expected much from what was projected to be a future star. Thus far, he has disappointed.
In his time with Chicago, Shaw went 10-of-58 (.172 average) with one home run and 18 strikeouts. Despite his struggle to hit, he was able to keep his on-base percentage at .294 thanks to his 10 walks, the only aspect of batting he has excelled at this year. While not good, Shaw’s OBP offset his hitting troubles, at least to some extent.
Now demoted, Shaw is still scuffling at the plate. As of Wednesday, he is 1-13 (.077 average) in Triple-A. But there is some good news.
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Matt Shaw is making contact, he’s just not finding any holes
To start, Shaw is still drawing walks. That is always good. His five walks and one hit give him an on-base percentage of .368 which is exceptional despite recording just the one hit. And given that Shaw has struggled to hit on both levels, his issue appears to be more of a slump rather than an MLB-readiness type of problem. But there is one big difference.
As discussed before, Shaw struck out 18 times in the majors. In Triple-A, he hasn’t been punched out once. Shaw is making plenty of contact, he just hasn’t been able to find many holes.
During his first two years as a professional, Shaw has demonstrated a tendency to barrel balls with a high level of consistency, something he hasn’t done much this year. Since whiffing is no longer a problem for him, his issue now isn’t about making contact, but in squaring the ball. Given his progress in eliminating strikeouts, it's probably safe to assume Shaw will rediscover his old form before long and start doing the things baseball fans have come to know him for prior to 2025.