Budding Star Infielder Named Chicago Cubs Best Prospect of Season

A recent Chicago Cubs top draft pick has been making waves in the minor leagues.

Iowa Cubs 3rd baseman Matt Shaw swings the bat at a pitch on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, at Principal Park. / Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK

The 2024 MLB season was a disappointing one for the Chicago Cubs. Despite bringing in Craig Counsell to be their manager and a few adjustments to their roster, they were unable to build off of their 83-win campaign in 2023.

They recorded the same number of victories this year, as an early-season hole was too deep to climb out of. By the time some of their key contributors in the lineup began to produce, it was too late.

The efforts of the pitching staff were wasted. Their starting rotation was solid throughout the campaign and the bullpen, after a brutal start, got on track.

On the mound, the Cubs got the job done; at the plate, they left a lot to be desired.

Alas, there were a few players who broke out this year, proving to be long-term building blocks. Michael Busch looked good at first base in his first chance at being an everyday starter and Pete Crow-Armstrong was great in center field.

If third baseman Isaac Parades can find the form he showed previously with the Tampa Bay Rays, this lineup will be in business.

In addition, there is some high-upside help on the way in the minor leagues. Chicago currently has eight players ranked in the top 100 prospects on MLB.com; seven of them are hitters.

But, one of them stood out amongst their peers in 2024. In the opinion of Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report, it was third baseman Matt Shaw who was the best minor league player of the year.

“Catcher Moises Ballesteros and outfielder Owen Caissie both had strong seasons while finishing 2024 on the doorstep of the big leagues, but Shaw was the team's most impressive prospect a year after going No. 13 overall in the 2023 draft. The University of Maryland product hit .284/.379/.488 with 19 doubles, 21 home runs, 71 RBI and 31 steals in 121 games between Double-A and Triple-A,” Reuter wrote.

It is impressive how fast the talented former Terrapin is moving through the system. He was in Double-A months after being selected and performed even better in Triple-A.

It won’t be long until we see Shaw on the Major League roster, as a strong Spring Training showing in 2025 could fast-track him to the pros.

He is currently the No. 1 ranked prospect in the Cubs organization and No. 21 overall in the sport. His estimated MLB arrival is 2025.