Top Chicago Cubs prospect Matt Shaw was a heavy presence this weekend at the Cubs Convention, with the future big leaguer a prominent part of any conversation that didn’t focus on Sammy Sosa or Kyle Tucker. That includes the front office panel, which spoke about the opportunity that Shaw has to win the third base job and run with it. The Cubs will want to have support around him, but it’s pretty clear they believe Shaw could develop into a special player.
The Cubs are not alone in that belief:
Here's the 2025 Top 10 3B Prospects list, featuring six players with ETAs of this year — including the top two: https://t.co/O5kjFC8Ceq pic.twitter.com/ViYOvP8L2A— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) January 20, 2025
Being ranked as the second-best third base prospect in all of baseball, behind only Coby Mayo, is a pretty significant thing for a guy whose ability at third base was something of a question mark until very recently. It’s clear that Shaw has put in the work to become playable there, and maybe even better. The bat was not as much of a question, of course.
It’s not just that Shaw is ranked the second-best third base prospect, mind you. It’s that he is all over that MLB Pipeline write up, getting love for having the best hit tool in the group, the best running ability, the highest floor, and the best Rookie of the Year candidate. I know “floor” is never the sexiest of these categories, but I love what Pipeline says about Shaw:
“Highest floor: Shaw
Shaw’s hit tool would be good enough to earn him a spot here considering it’s practically Major League-ready now. His above-average power and speed elevate the floor even higher, and the athleticism — in particular — means he has other ways to contribute on days he pulls an 0-for at the dish.”
The Cubs will obviously want the bat to become a plus in the very short-term if Matt Shaw is going to hold down third base throughout the season, but we’ve seen how much value a guy can provide if he’s playing average defense and running the bases well.
OK, so I have to note the extreme love that Cam Smith is getting, ranking third less than a year after the Cubs made him the 14th overall pick in the draft, and just a month after he was traded to the Astros in the Kyle Tucker deal. It’s a credit to the Cubs’ scouting and drafting and developing infrastructure, and we knew he was really going to pop in these rankings. But it’s OK to feel a slight pang of worry that he could become a superstar, while Tucker leaves after just one year in Chicago. (Just win the World Series this year, and everything is fine!)