Chicago Cubs Rookie Does Something Not Seen in Nearly Last 35 Years of Team History in Debut

Matt Shaw, the No. 1 prospect in the organization, made his major league debut on Tuesday at just the age of 23.

Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw (6) hits an RBI single against the Yomiuri Giants during the fifth inning at Tokyo Dome on March 16. / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs officially opened up the major league season on Tuesday morning against the Los Angeles Dodgers as part of the two-game Toyko Series.

The series is a big success for baseball, pitting two of the most iconic brands in the sport against each other in one of the biggest media markets in the world.

It is also a big day for Cubs rookie Matt Shaw, who made his major league debut in historic team fashion.

Per Sarah Langs of MLB.com on social media:

at 23 years & 132 days, Matt Shaw is the youngest Cubs player to make his MLB debut on Opening Day since Gary Scott in 1991 (22y, 230d)

at 23 years & 132 days, Matt Shaw is the youngest Cubs player to make his MLB debut on Opening Day since Gary Scott in 1991 (22y, 230d) https://t.co/2OYOcL3y11

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) March 18, 2025

Shaw is ranked as the No. 19 prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline. He grounded out to second base in his first at-bat before striking out against Yoshinobu Yamamoto in his second.

A first-round pick in the 2023 draft out of Maryland, Shaw is a .303 career hitter in the minor leagues. He had just 35 games of Triple-A experience under his belt, but he did hit .298 in those 35 games last year with seven home runs. The promotion is certainly aggressive, but third base was open after the Cubs traded Isaac Paredes away in the deal that brought Kyle Tucker over from the Astros.

At the time of this posting, the Cubs trail the Dodgers 3-1 in the fifth inning.

Chicago finished tied for second in the National League Central in 2024, missing the playoffs. The Brewers won the division by a whopping 10 games.

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