Chicago's Cubs Consider Rookie Matt Shaw Eminent for Third Base Role
Chicago's Cubs Consider Rookie Matt Shaw Eminent for Third Base Role
The Cubs anticipate having Matt Shaw in action at the third base position in 2025, given his expected high-performance level.
The Cubs welcomed eight different players at the third base position in 2024, making it a challenging task for a promising rookie, who bagged a signing bonus of $4,848,500 as a first-round pick in 2023.
Cubs' President of Operations, Jed Hoyer, commented on Shaw's prospects, stating, "Young players deserve opportunities. Shaw has proven himself, and he's worked hard in the minors. However, he needs to earn the position, and it's not just being handed to him."
In his stint in the minors, Shaw exhibited impressive stats, hitting .303 with 29 homers, 99 RBIs, and 46 stolen bases in 60 attempts. His skills also extended to strong fielding at third base, second, and shortstop. Besides, some scouts believe that his arm strength, although subpar at third, would be compensated by his outstanding offensive talents.
Chicago's plans to promote Shaw as their starter at third base were confirmed after the trade of Isaac Paredes and the departure of Cam Smith to the Houston Astros.
Meanwhile, the Cubs also parted ways with their No. 1 draft pick in 2023, Smith, as part of the trade deal to acquire slugger Kyle Tucker from Houston. Subsequently, the Cubs disposed of Clay Bellinger's substantial contract to the New York Yankees to afford the resources to buy quality free-agent pitchers.
The Third Base Carousel in 2024
Nick Madrigal began the series of third-base changes in 2024, serving as the opening-day starter. Miles Mastrobuoni replaced him, and the sets of players continuous to shift, resulting in a lackluster performance by the Cubs' third basemen that year.
Madrigal, now a free agent, managed only 221 hits in 36 games at third base and 15 games at second. Meanwhile, Mastrobuoni played 17 games at third and 23 games at four different positions, ending up with a batting average of .194. Mastrobuoni, age 29, globetrots as a utility player.
Christopher Morel, who played 74 games at third, showcased a poor batting average of .199 until he was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays for Paredes. In 52 games for the Cubs, Morel had 3 homers and a .223 batting average.
Patrick Wisdom, who hit a whopping 76 homers in previous seasons, spent most of 2024 struggling at the plate, hitting only .171 in 75 games and played both at third base and other positions. He's currently a free agent.
David Bote, 31, played 26 games at third base for the Cubs, hitting .304 in 2024, increasing his overall career average to .234 in six seasons.
Minor-league player Michael Busch focused on playing first base, with Hoyer stating, "Busch fits best on first base, and that's our primary focus. He's an excellent first baseman. We did see his adaptability at other positions, but he excelled at first base."
Luis Vazquez, another minor-league player, completed the rotating system by playing three games at third base, with an unsatisfactory .083 batting average in 11 games.
Despite Hoyer's possible plans to recruit free-agent third basemen, Shaw seems to be the primary man for 2025.
Third-Base Batting Kingpins at Wrigley
The Cubs boast a rich history of stellar offensive third basemen, including the legendary Hall of Famer Ron Santo, the only Cubs' third baseman to win five consecutive Gold Glove Awards. Santo also joined the Select Company of Cubs' National League batting title holders, hitting .313 in 1966. Above all, Santo achieved a .277 batting average, 377 home runs, and 1,331 RBI in 15 seasons.
Bill Madlock also contributed to the Cubs' batting prowess by winning the batting titles in 1974 (.354) and 1975 (.339), later topping the charts twice with the Pittsburgh Pirates with .340 in 1979 and .333 in 1983. Overall, Madlock boasted a .305 career batting average and six One-Batting Title crowns with six different teams.
Heinie Zimmerman is another prominent name in the Cubs' batting records after winning the Triple Crown with the 1912 Cubs, leading the league in hitting (.372), home runs (14), and RBI (104). In 14 seasons, Zimmerman totaled a .295 batting average, including four seasons with the New York Giants and ten years as a Chicago Cubs.
Aramis Ramirez, who played nine seasons with the Cubs from 2003 to 2011, achieved .294 batting average, 239 homers, and 812 RBI. Ramirez also played for Pittsburgh and Milwaukee, reaching .300 batting average and a total of 386 homers and 1,274 RBI in 18 seasons.
Four-time All-Star Stan McDowell spent his entire 16-year (1932-47) tenure with the Cubs, posting a batting average of .301 overall. McDowell was swift, yet a subpar base runner. He managed to lead the NL in being caught stealing for five consecutive years (1936-40), achieving success only 52% of the time (165 successful attempts out of 320). Despite this, he managed to score over 100 runs each year, despite only managing to hit 28 home runs throughout that period.
Matt Perkins' impressive 77% success rate in stealing bases during his minor league career suggests that he won't be anything like McDowell on the bases. And while he should be able to hit, he's unlikely to match another McDowell. Outfielder Hack Simmons hit .322 with 190 homers and 769 RBI in a six-season stint with the Cubs in the middle of his 12-year Hall of Fame career.
In comparison to the Cubs' historical batting kings at third base, such as Ron Santo and Bill Madlock, the Cubs' third basemen in 2024 struggled, with David Bote having the highest batting average at .304.
The uncertainty at the third base position in 2024 led to the Cubs considering free-agent options, but Jed Hoyer appears to favor Matt Shaw for the role in 2025.
The Cubs' trade of their 2023 first-round pick, Cam Smith, to the Houston Astros for Kyle Tucker signified their confidence in Shaw's abilities, as they intend to promote him as their starter in 2025.