Cubs Rookie Looks Like Completely Different Player in Return to Majors

What has the Chicago Cubs skipper seen in this rookie's rise as a defensive star since his return from early season demotion?

Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs will look toward the trade deadline as clear buyers as they entered June tied for the best record in the National League.

With a 37-22 record tied for second-best in the MLB, only behind the Detroit Tigers, they lead the NL Central.

Those needs are certainly not hitters, as the Cubs have enjoyed a high-octane offense that’s set them up to be contenders in the 2025 MLB season.

That offensive firepower has perhaps overshadowed a more well-rounded lineup than is given credit.

Quietly, the Cubs' season-long struggle at third base may have a long-term solution, and their patient approach at the position could pay strong dividends.

Can Cubs’ Rookie Matt Shaw Be Answer at Hot Corner?

The Cubs gave Shaw the opportunity to be the starting third baseman heading into the season, but after a rough start, they sent him to Triple-A.

Shaw slashed .172/.294/.241 with a 62 wRC+ in his first 18 games. In his first 12 games back since his stint in the minors, Shaw has shown massive improvements.

He’s slashing .326/.383/.442 with a 136 wRC+, and has five doubles, four RBI, and is tied with Pete Crow-Armstrong with five stolen bases through that stretch.

Shaw is also third on the team with three defensive runs saved despite his month-long absence.

That’s even more impressive when he’s at a position he’s never played at prior to this spring.

In Chicago’s 7-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, Shaw made two stellar defensive plays on ground outs in the seventh inning.

The young slugger has found command at the plate, and that has had a clear effect on his confidence as an all-around player.

Vinnie Duber with the Chicago Sun-Times reported on what Cubs skipper Craig Counsell thinks Shaw has learned in his flourishing return.

‘‘He used the feedback he got from the first three weeks of the season really well,’’ Counsell said. ‘‘He’s comfortable right now, and he’s getting better. He’s taken feedback that coaches, players, and the league have given him and gotten better.’’

Shaw believes that his demotion was the best thing that could’ve happened in his career trajectory, and he took it in stride.

Many prospects could lose their confidence after floundering in the majors, which is why managers often hesitate to throw still-developing rookies into the fire too early.

‘‘The league challenges you,’’ Counsell said Saturday. ‘‘He got kind of punched in the face but made a pretty quick adjustment.

‘‘If we look back on this, if we can keep going in this direction, you’ll say, ‘That was a pretty quick adjustment.’ That’s a credit to him and our staff.’’

It indeed is, as Shaw seems to have been refreshed by the stint in the minors and is playing like the college star he was at Maryland that got him drafted at No. 13 in the 2023 draft.

It’s still a small body of work, and Shaw is sure to have ebbs and flows as the season continues into June.

Importantly, he knows he has what it takes to rise out of a slump, and that could be what it takes for him to succeed as a long-term answer at the hot corner.