The Chicago Cubs have fallen on rough times of late, and despite (barely) winning their weekend series against he Pittsburgh Pirates, the offense continues to struggle to score runs. One bright spot among a lineup that has seemingly gone into a slump all at once is rookie Matt Shaw: The 23-year-old third baseman has been by far the team's best hitter since the All-Star break.
Which is why it was so puzzling when, during Sunday's 4-3 win at Wrigley Field, manager Craig Counsell decided to pinch-hit for Shaw to begin the seventh inning, when the game was still tied at three. It was most certainly a tough pill to swallow for Shaw, who entered the game with a 1.086 OPS in his last 25 games. But the situation also led to a learning experience and showed why the veteran Justin Turner's presence on the team goes far beyond his performance on the field.
Justin Turner is a great teammate 🫶 pic.twitter.com/bULSv4fo0W
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) August 17, 2025
The Cubs signed Turner late in the offseason, bringing in the 40-year-old to fill out the bench and provide the team with a platoon bat at first base against left-handed pitching. Counsell stuck to the plan despite Turner's woeful start to the year in which he slashed .155/.271/.155 through May 11. Turner has managed to turn his season around, recording above average numbers during the past three months, including a .961 OPS vs. lefties in his last 56 plate appearances, but his impact may be even greater inside the clubhouse.
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Justin Turner's leadership on full display with Matt Shaw
Turner made his MLB debut with the Baltimore Orioles in 2009, after he was traded to them by the Cincinnati Reds. He only played in 17 games with the Orioles before the New York Mets claimed him off waivers in 2010. Turner showed some flashes in New York, winning Rookie of the Month in May of 2011, but after three seasons with the Mets he was non-tendered following the 2013 season. Then, Turner signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the rest is history. It took him until his age-29 season to finally come into his own in the Majors, and there's no doubt he's known how Shaw felt on Sunday.
Shaw began the 2025 season as the No. 1 prospect for the Cubs. He was named the Opening Day starter at third base and had giant expectations placed on him. But the rookie struggled and was eventually sent down to Triple-A in mid-April so he could reset and simply regain his confidence. Shaw returned, tore it up for three weeks and then reverted to his bad habits. There was a real question mark at third base entering the All-Star break as the front office was reportedly trying to make a trade for Eugenio Suarez.
Ultimately, no move was made at the trade deadline to oust Shaw from third base as the Cubs pivoted to super utility man Willi Castro instead. That decision not to push the chips in for Suarez has benefited Shaw, who has completely changed his approach at the plate and has hit eight of his 10 home runs in his last 80 plate appearances. Shaw looks like a new hitter, a confident one who is now attacking pitches instead of being defensive at the plate and ending at-bats with weakly hit ground balls.
The Cubs offense has been atrocious since July 18, with one noticeable outlier. Shaw's posted a 187 wRC+ since then, while Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ are the only other players on the team hitting above league average. No player ever wants to be substituted, but it probably felt worse for Shaw, knowing he's been one of the few hitters actually contributing through this collective slump.
That's where Turner's wisdom and veteran leadership kicked in on Sunday, as he was seen in the dugout with his arm around Shaw, talking to the rookie after Owen Caissie took his at-bat to begin the seventh inning.
As fans, we don't always get to see the value off the field. We don't always know the relationships behind closed doors, but in that instance we saw a glimpse of what it means to have a veteran on the team who not only has many years of experience but is willing to share it with younger players.
Sure, at the end of the year Turner's numbers may not seem impressive, but those types of moments show exactly why the Cubs didn't cut the veteran loose when he wasn't contributing on the field early on.