‘Fundamentally Sound’ Chicago Cubs Star Prospect Has Rookie of Year Potential

The Chicago Cubs lineup in 2025 is going to feature some new faces compared to what manager Craig Counsell was using at the end of the 2024 campaign.

Their biggest addition is going to be in right field, where Kyle Tucker will be roaming. He was acquired in a blockbuster trade from the Houston Astros as the new linchpin in the middle of the team’s order.

To land the star outfielder, the Cubs had to part ways with third baseman Isaac Parades, pitcher Hayden Wesneski and highly-regarded prospect Cam Smith. It was not a cheap price tag, especially when taking into consideration that Tucker will be a free agent after the season.

Moving their starter at the hot corner, in addition to Cody Bellinger in a separate deal with the New York Yankees, opened up other spots in the lineup as well.

One of the players who could be assuming a starting role is top prospect, Matt Shaw.

He is going to have every opportunity to earn the starting third baseman’s job on Opening Day during spring training. 

Unless the team wins the Alex Bregman sweepstakes, the youngster has the inside track to the starting job. Based on the 40-man roster, the only other competition at third base is veteran Jon Berti.

Potentially having an everyday role in an incredibly deep and talented lineup should bode well for Shaw. There won’t be pressure on him to be a middle-of-the-order slugger right away as he can ease into a complementary role.

With several established veterans also in the mix, he should face plenty of pitches to hit as teams will be more aggressive attacking him than the likes of Tucker, Ian Happ, Michael Busch, Seiya Suzuki and Dansby Swanson.

Shaw is someone that Jim Bowden of The Athletic is going to be keeping a close eye on as he has the skill set to compete for the NL rookie of the year award in 2025.

“Shaw has a short, compact swing and is direct to the ball…He grinds at-bats, has good bat-to-balls skills, and is mechanically and fundamentally sound in most aspects of his game,” wrote the former MLB executive.

A first-round pick in the 2023 MLB Amateur June Draft out of Maryland, he has only 159 games of minor league experience under his belt but looks more than ready for a promotion the Major League level.

Shaw is the total package offensively, providing average, power and speed. He has recorded a slash line of .303/.384/.522 with 29 home runs, 28 doubles, eight triples and 46 stolen bases in 693 plate appearances.

A good grasp of the strike zone also exists, as he has a walk rate of 10.2% and a 17.3% strikeout rate. Both are excellent numbers, especially for such a young player, as Shaw possesses all of the tools to become a star at the next level.

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