The Chicago Cubs have a long history of drafting shortstops early in the MLB Draft, and they did so again on Sunday, selecting Maryland’s Matt Shaw with the No. 13 overall pick.
Shaw won the MVP award in the Cape Cod League in 2022, and followed that up with a stellar season at Maryland, with 24 home runs, 69 RBI’s and 18 stolen bases in 62 games.
While stats tell an intriguing story of a strong hitter, many scouts also believe that Shaw could one day be a second baseman in the big leagues.
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Here’s what MLB.com’s Jim Callis had to say:
“Even if he probably isn’t a big league shortstop, the Cape Cod League MVP has hitting ability, power, at least solid speed and some Ian Happ parallels.”
Callis also said that Shaw had one of the best hit tools in the entire draft class.
James Fox of Sox Machine also echoed similar themes:
“Shaw is one of the best hitters in a stellar college class and his positional versatility makes him even more appealing for clubs picking in the top half of the first round…He’s a legitimate stolen base threat and he’s very versatile, but teams will be drafting the potential of the bat.”
Prospects Live had him ranked at No. 23 in their Top 500 prospects, and here’s what their Tyler Jennings had to say:
“He checks a lot of boxes at the plate, with a smooth right-handed swing with bat-to-ball skills and very good power, all while improving his chase rate. His average exit velocity grades out very high, and he’s exceeded triple digits multiple times with impressive plate discipline.”
Jack Sabin of Vendetta Sports Media:
“He has that blazing speed you can’t teach which should easily translate into 30-plus stolen bases at the next level, but the speed is far from the only thing Shaw brings to the table.
“He is an incredibly-patient hitter, working a lot of walks and limit strikeouts. This approach allows him to drive a ton of baseballs and gives him plus-power at the plate. He strives on making hard contact every at-bat, and constantly sprays the ball to all parts of the field.”