Matt Shaw, the Chicago Cubs’ top prospect and 18th overall, isn’t having the rookie year he expected after only 18 games in the majors.
Shaw advanced through the Cubs’ farm system in two years, appearing in 159 minor league games before making his MLB debut. Shaw had a.284 batting average, 21 home runs, and 31 stolen bases in 443 at-bats across Double and Triple-A in 2024, good enough to make the Opening Day roster.
Cubs fans had high expectations for what was expected to be a future star, given his excellent bat-to-ball skills, keen eye at the plate, ample power, and plus speed. So far, he has disappointed.
Shaw was 10-for-58 (.172 average) with one home run and 18 strikeouts while with Chicago. Despite his struggles at the plate, he was able to maintain an on-base percentage of.294 thanks to 10 walks, the only aspect of his batting that he has excelled at this season. Shaw’s OBP, while not great, helped to compensate for his hitting struggles.
Shaw, who has been demoted, continues to struggle at the plate. As of Wednesday, he was 1-13 (.077 average) in Triple-A. But there’s some good news.
Matt Shaw is making contact, he’s just not finding any holes
To begin, Shaw is still sketching walks. That’s always good. Despite only having one hit, his.368 on-base percentage is impressive.
Shaw has struggled to hit at both levels, so his problem appears to be a slump rather than an MLB-readiness issue. However, there is one major difference.
As previously stated, Shaw struck out 18 times in the majors. In Triple-A, he has never been punched out. Shaw is making a lot of contact; he just hasn’t found many holes.
Shaw had a high level of consistency barreling balls during his first two years as a professional, but he hasn’t done much of that this year.
Since whiffing is no longer an issue for him, his focus is now on squaring the ball rather than making contact.
Given his progress in reducing strikeouts, it’s likely Shaw will regain his old form soon and resume doing the things baseball fans have come to expect him to do before 2025.
