Before the Chicago Cubs opened up a series on Monday night against the Miami Marlins, the Chicago Cubs recalled top prospect Matt Shaw after he showed signs of improvement in Triple-A Iowa. Through 24 games in Triple-A, Shaw slashed .286/.409/.560 with six home runs and 14 RBIs. Now, back in the majors after previously having an unsuccessful first stint in MLB, Shaw has played in both games at third base, going 4-9 with two doubles and two RBIs.
Local Chicago sports outlet Bleacher Nation recently had a fantastic write-up on Shaw, explaining the failed swing adjustments Shaw made to his swing to catch up with higher velocity. The approach didn't work in the majors, and upon returning to Iowa, Shaw reverted to his normal swing, with a slightly reduced leg kick and a more upright stance closer to the plate. Shaw's primary adjustment to his swing was that he was starting his swing earlier, and an unnecessary fix that wound up causing him problems, when, in fact, he already had a good approach to begin with.
If Matt Shaw starts raking, the Cubs' offense will reach insane levels
The Cubs already boast the number one offense in the league in terms of run differential and currently hold the top spot in runs per game, with a mark of 5.94. Where the team hasn't gotten much production from this season, and truth be told, it's more of a gaping hole, is third base. If Shaw's refined approach at the dish can lead to the success we expected all along, the Cubs' 1-9 will continue to put up video game numbers.
The team currently has three hitters in Kyle Tucker, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Seiya Suzuki, who have all bashed over 10 home runs and driven in at least 30 RBIs. An astonishing five more players have at least 20 RBIs, proving this team's depth offensively. Without Shaw, the Cubs have become one of the more feared offenses in the league. With him, the sky is the limit.
The Cubs have signature series wins against the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, and Milwaukee Brewers. They started their season with the most challenging schedule in MLB and now move on to a much lighter schedule, while already flirting with being ten games over .500. On tap after this series with Miami are the Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, the Reds again, and the Washington Nationals.
As we creep up on one-third of the season played, the Cubs have a chance to close May with a sizeable lead in the NL Central. The team will address its pitching situation at the deadline, but for now, Shaw looks to be the latest member of a young core that is ready to catapult this team to the next level.