Matt Shaw DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Chicago Cubs infield prospect Matt Shaw went 4-for-5 with a double and an RBI during Tuesday's contest against Triple-A Buffalo. This was Shaw's third-straight game tallying multiple hits. Since returning to Triple-A Iowa on April 18, the Maryland product has held a strong .290/.405/.452 slash line with two doubles and a home run. Shaw was able to make the Opening Day roster out of spring training but was optioned back to the minor leagues after he struggled. Across his first 18 games in the big leagues, the former 13th overall pick held a modest .172/.294/.241 slash line with just two extra-base hits. Fantasy managers in deeper NL-only formats should continue to monitor his status at Triple-A, as he should contend for an early return to the big leagues. When he does return, he will be worth rostering in all standard leagues given the potential he has shown at Triple-A.

Chicago Cubs infield prospect Matt Shaw went 2-for-5 with a double and a home run during their contest on Sunday against Triple-A Louisville. This was his second-straight contest, tallying two hits. This was also his first long ball since returning to Triple-A. Shaw was able to earn a spot on the MLB roster out of spring training but was optioned following his first 18 games when he held a .172/.294/.241 slash line with just one double and a home run. During this first taste of the MLB, he held a 26.5 percent strikeout rate. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as he should be in the mix for an early return to the major leagues. Last summer at Triple-A, the former 13th overall pick held a .298/.395/.534 slash line. Fantasy managers in deeper NL-only formats should continue to stash Shaw on their bench.

The Chicago Cubs have optioned third baseman Matt Shaw to Triple-A Iowa. Shaw was able to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster out of spring training but will be sent back to the minor leagues to continue his development. Through his first 18 games in the majors, the Maryland product posted a modest .172/.294/.241 slash line with two doubles and one home run. Shaw drew walks at a strong 14.7 percent rate but generated a weak .272 xwOBA. In addition, Shaw posted a hefty 26.5 percent strikeout rate with a 30.8 percent whiff rate. Last summer, the former 13th overall from the 2023 MLB Draft performed very well in Double-A and Triple-A. Across 121 games split between the upper levels, Shaw posted a stellar .284/.379/.488 slash line with 21 long balls. Fantasy managers should expect Justin Turner and Jon Berti to split time at the hot corner going forward.

Chicago Cubs third base prospect Matt Shaw went 2-for-4 with two RBI during their 10-2 victory over the Athletics on Wednesday afternoon. In the third inning, Shaw hit an RBI single, which scored Justin Turner. Later in the seventh, he would bring outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong home on his second single. Since posting a .118/.167/.118 slash line through his first four games in the major leagues, the former first-round pick has begun to flip the script. Over his last five games, the Maryland product has posted an impressive .294/.429/.529 slash line with one double and one long ball. He has held a 4:5 BB:K over this stretch. Last summer, the 23-year-old posted an elite .298/.395/.534 line through his first 35 games at Triple-A. Fantasy managers should continue to expect the Cubs to provide Shaw an everyday opportunity at the hot corner, as long as he continues this production.

Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The rookie slugger will get a day off after playing in the first four games to begin the season. Gage Workman will cover third base and bat eighth versus right-hander Brandon Pfaadt. Workman put on a solid performance in spring training, but probably isn't going to offer much fantasy value in a bench role. The expectation is that Shaw will return to the lineup after his rest day here.