Chicago Cubs Star Prospect Matt Shaw Was in Rare Company Last Season

The Chicago Cubs star prospect Matt Shaw was one of few players to reach an important offensive milestone last year.

Feb 23, 2024; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Chicago Cubs second baseman Matt Shaw (77) hits an RBI double against the Chicago White Sox in the first inning at Sloan Park. / Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs lineup is going to look a lot different next season, and one of the most exciting reasons is the arrival of their superstar prospect.

Matt Shaw was an intriguing player when he was drafted with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2023 draft out of college, and the hype has only grown since he began his professional career.

MLB prospect analysts Jonathan Mayo and Sam Dykstra recently looked through each team's farm system to find a player who had at least one stat that stood out.

For the Cubs, it was Shaw's 20 home run, 30 stolen base milestone which made him just one of four minor leaguers to reach that mark, putting him in rare offensive company.

The Massachusetts native finished the year with 21 home runs and 31 stolen bases to be exact. He had a slash line of .284/.379/.488, splitting time between both Double-A and Triple-A.

He has shown flashes of being able to do both since he was in college, but this was the first time he reached that milestone. His best season with the Maryland Terrapins saw him hit 24 home runs and steal 18 bases in just 62 games.

Chicago doesn't really have a player with that same speed and power combo right now.

Pete Crow-Armstrong has shown some potential, but still only had 10 home runs last year.

There is a reason Shaw is the Cubs' top prospect and No. 22 overall in baseball.

He uses that speed on defense to give him great range in the infield. While he was expected to become a middle infielder, Chicago has pushed him to the hot corner to fit their team needs.

Shaw truly has the potential to be a four-tool player, but will need to develop more in the field before that tag can be assigned. He doesn't have the best arm, but can use his legs and baseball IQ to make up for it.

No matter what, he should be an all-around upgrade at third base for the Cubs from last year.

Between Isaac Paredes and Christopher Morel, that was a black hole in the batting order in 2024.

The position produced just a .210/.303/.332 slash line with 17 home runs and six stolen bases. Both players are also sub-optimal defenders.

Along with adding Shaw at the hot corner, they also traded for Kyle Tucker to fill in for Cody Bellinger.

An already solid offensive group from a year ago will be much better this time around with the two major boosts.