Has Matt Shaw Earned Everyday Reps at Third Base?

There hasn’t been much to be happy about when it comes to the Chicago Cubs as of late. While they still hold the top NL Wild Card spot and are 16 games over .500, it feels like a team that had more ambitious goals for their season is sputtering when it matters most.

Since the All-Star Break, the Cubs’ top of the lineup has been quiet. Pete Crow-Armstrong is batting just .227 with a .703 OPS. Offseason trade acquisition Kyle Tucker is batting just .222 with only three extra-base hits. Michael Busch is batting just .153 with an extremely disappointing .520 OPS, and the team leader in RBIs, Seiya Suzuki, is batting just .188 with a .626 OPS.

So, with this tough run at the plate for the Cubs, what has kept them treading water instead of sinking in the NL Wild Card standings?

I mentioned there hasn’t been much to be happy about, but I didn’t say there has been no positives. Enter Matt Shaw.

The Cubs’ 3B Situation

In 2024, the Chicago Cubs finished 83-79, tied for second in the NL Central, and six games out of the NL Wild Card.  A key contributor to this disappointing season was their lack of a dependable third baseman. 

Third base was a revolving door in 2024. Eight players started games at the position. Christopher Morel started 74 before being shipped off to Tampa Bay for All-Star Isaac Paredes, who started 50.

Craig Counsel tried numerous other options at the hot corner, even running out Michael Busch for a game, but he was unable to find a suitable option. All of these players (besides Busch) combined for a -0.4 WAR for the Cubs in 2024, so it was clear that a change was in order for 2025. 

Matt Shaw had a very impressive 2024 in two levels of minor league ball, and the Cubs made it clear they wanted him there on Opening Day 2025. They traded Parades along with Hayden Wesneski and prospect Cam Smith to the Astros in exchange for Kyle Tucker, and got rid of Miles Mastrobuoni, Patrick Wisdom, and Nick Madrigal, who all saw time at the position in 2024. All of this ensured that Matt Shaw would be able to prove why he should be the Cubs third baseman of the future.

Shaw’s Impressive Start

Shaw was selected with the 13th overall pick in the first round by the Cubs in 2023 out of the University of Maryland. In 2023, his first season in the minors, he came out swinging. He batted .357 with a 1.018 OPS across three levels of the minor leagues.

In 2024, he began in Double-A, and had he stayed hot. He put up a slash line of .279/.373/.478 in 86 games at Double-A. He was promoted to Triple-A and got even better, slashing .298/.395/.534 in Iowa. Seeing his impressive two-year stretch, the Cubs decided that he would be the opening day starter in the Tokyo Series against the Dodgers.

Growing Pains

Shaw’s first stint in the big leagues did not go exactly as planned. In 18 games, he batted just .172 with a .535 OPS in 68 PA. Seeing that he needed more time, Shaw was sent back down to Triple-A to work on some things and gain confidence. While there, he did just that.

In 24 games, Shaw slashed .286/.409/.560 and walked more than he struck out, drawing 17 walks compared to just 11 strikeouts. He cut his strikeout percentage of 19.7% from his 2024 stint in Triple-A to just 10% in 2025. 

Shaw was called back up to the Cubs on May 19, and he hit the ground running. He went 2-for-4 with a single and a double his first game back, and batted .359 with a .906 OPS in his first 11 games back. It looked like he was back on track and ready to contribute for the Cubs in their hunt for the NL Central crown. Unfortunately, this was not the case. 

From June 1 until the All-Star break, Shaw slashed an abysmal .155/.215/.227. He had a .442 OPS and only six XBH in 121 PA. It was looking like Shaw was headed for Triple-A Iowa once again, when all of a sudden, something clicked. 

Shaw’s Impressive Run

Since the All-Star break, Shaw has been absolute dynamite at the plate. He’s slashing .328/.349/.770 with a 1.120 OPS in 20 games. In that time he has hit seven home runs and driven in 15 RBIs. He has more XBH than he does singles, something the Cubs have been desperately missing from their main cast of stars. 

Since the All-Star break, Shaw has more XBH (12) than Kyle Tucker, Seiya Suzuki, and Michael Busch combined. Shaw has struck out less than Tucker, Suzuki, Busch, and Pete Crow-Armstrong since the ASG, and has driven in more runs than all of them as well.

Defensive Woes

While Shaw’s hitting has been fun to watch, his defense has been questionable. He’s shown flashes of being a good defender with some impressive plays, but a -5 OAA this season shows he still has work to do.

Shaw primarily played shortstop in college, and bounced around the infield in the minors, so it makes sense that there are growing pains. The hope is that with Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner in the infield, they can mentor Shaw and turn him into a solid fielder.

The Big Picture

After starting hot through the first half of the season, the Cubs have lost their lead in the NL Central to the red-hot Milwaukee Brewers. While the Brewers have been red hot, the Cubs have underperformed since the ASG, which has put them 7.5 games back of the division lead. 

The Cubs have lost four of their last six series, and they are barely above .500 in their last 50 games, at 26-24. Their mediocre play has been in large part due to their stalled offense, which was believed to be the best lineup in MLB in the first half of the season. A team OPS in the last 30 days of .715 is tied for 17th in the league in that time.

With this difficult stretch of play for the Cubs, you have to wonder, where would this team be right now without Matt Shaw in the lineup? 

The Cubs showed they were committed to Shaw at the beginning of the year, and they have shown they are still committed to him now by not making a move for a third baseman at the deadline.

They did add the versatile Willi Castro, giving them a fallback option, but one that can start at nearly any position on the diamond. Castro will spare Shaw some, and is always an option if he goes ice-cold, but the Cubs can’t stop betting on Shaw now that they are starting to see the fruits of his development.

Despite an up-and-down season, the Cubs are now relying on Shaw’s hot bat to get them through this slump. He has undoubtedly earned himself the role of starting third baseman for the rest of the season, as well as for the foreseeable future.

The Cubs bet on Shaw’s bat at the deadline, and for now, it seems to be paying off.