Mar 31, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Chicago Cubs second base Matt Shaw (6) during the game against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Cubs Top Prospect On Fire After Nailing Rare Feat in Triple-A Matchup

Originally posted on Chicago Cubs on SI
By Maria Aldrich | Last updated May 16, 2025 2:00 PM ET

At the beginning of the season, the Chicago Cubs were rather unsure of their young top prospect Matt Shaw.

After having a rough go early on this year, the Cubs optioned him back to Triple-A. However, Shaw appears to be using this setback as a source of fuel - his most recent victory with the Iowa Cubs speaks for itself.

Matt Shaw Completes Rare Feat

Needless to say, Thursday's victory was greatly attributed to Shaw's strong performance.

Not only did he hit a leadoff homer, but the 23-year-old rising star also hit a walk-off homer - a move that is rarely accomplished. Rightfully so, Shaw was named Player of the Game.

MATT SHAW WITH THE LEAD-OFF HOMER AND THE WALK-OFF HOMER takes our PLAYER OF THE GAME! pic.twitter.com/zs67C0UO6n
— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) May 15, 2025

"You have a lot of days that you're just grinding through and putting together good at-bats," Shaw said after the game, per Jesse Borek of MLB.com. "So it's really nice to have one of those days where everything kind of falls into place and you get a couple of home runs and you have a good day. Obviously, really exciting and I'm really happy about it.

Further reported by Borek, such an achievement has only been done five times in the Major Leagues, with the most recent occurrence taking place well over a decade ago.

This was undoubtedly a memorable game for Shaw. While the Cubs are unlikely to make any rash decisions regarding bringing Shaw back up, he can hold his head high knowing that things are heading in a positive direction.

His rapid demotion served as an opportunity for him to regroup and prove himself. Based off the numbers he's been posting lately, it's evident that he's getting up to speed with what the Cubs are seeking.

Time will tell when Shaw will make his Major League comeback, but he is clearly on a hot streak right now. The goal is that he will be able to keep up the momentum, ultimately landing him back with the Cubs.

This article first appeared on Chicago Cubs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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