The Chicago Cubs are set to play the San Diego Padres in the Cactus League on Friday. The Cubs need to tune up a few things after dropping their first two games of the regular season against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Tokyo Dome.
A couple of newcomers struggled with batting against the arms of the reigning World Series champs. Right fielder Kyle Tucker had one hit on eight at-bats. Matt Shaw had one hit on nine at-bats, prompting manager Craig Counsell to give an honest reflection of where the rookie is after the Japan trip.
The Cubs are expecting big things from both players. Chicago traded for Tucker this offseason hoping he’d propel them to a NL Central title. After missing out on Alex Bregman, the Cubs need Shaw to look like what they thought he’d be when they selected him at No. 13 in the 2023 draft.
Matt Shaw is expected to be a “breakout” player
The Athletic’s Jim Bowden listed Shaw as one of his 26 “breakout” candidates for promising young players. Bowden thinks he can get up to 20 home runs and 30 stolen bases.
“After losing out on Alex Bregman in free agency, the Cubs pivoted and announced that rookie Matt Shaw would be the team’s starting third baseman,” Bowden wrote. “Shaw was the Cubs’ first round pick and No. 13 overall in the 2023 MLB Draft.
“He has an unorthodox setup at the plate that includes a closed stance, toe tap and big leg kick. However, when his timing is on, he has a quick, short stroke with surprising lofting power. He profiles as a 20-home run, 30-stolen base talent with the ability to get on base at a high rate.”
The Chicago Cubs need Shaw’s defense to improve
To become a great player, Shaw needs to improve his defensive skills. He had a costly error in Chicago’s first game on Tuesday. However, he corrected his mistake on a similar play on Wednesday, showing he has the ability to learn quickly.
Hopefully, his performance at the plate will be the next thing for Shaw to improve on.
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