Chicago Cubs: Matt Shaw named team’s biggest “unknown” of the 2026 MLB season
The Chicago Cubs made one of the biggest signings of the Major League Baseball off-season by inking Alex Bregman to a five-year $175 million contract. While adding his bat will help ease the loss of outfielder Kyle Tucker, and his glove is good enough for the best defensive infield in baseball, it did leave Chicago with a big question.
That is, what are they going to do with Matt Shaw?
Last season, Shaw emerged as the Cubs everyday third baseman and hit .226/.295/.394 with 13 home runs, 44 RBI, and 19 stolen bases. His production was good enough to earn him a ninth-place finish in NL Rookie of the Year voting.
It was not good enough, however, to earn him a fixed spot in Chicago’s lineup.
What are the Chicago Cubs going to do with Matt Shaw?
The fact of the matter is that Shaw’s glove and offensive ceiling are just too good to keep out of the lineup every day. He is still young and his swing is still developing, but he has all the makings of a very useful and productive Major League player.
But how are the Cubs going to get him enough at-bats to reach that ceiling? That question is why MLB.com made him Chicago’s biggest unknown of the 2026 season:
“Shaw was the Cubs’ regular at third base in ‘25 and ended the year with some down-ballot Rookie of the Year votes and as a finalist for a Gold Glove Award. When the Cubs signed Alex Bregman, Shaw was asked to move off third and try his hand at being a super sub for both the infield and outfield.
“The 24-year-old Shaw is athletic enough to play all over the field, but there were ups and downs this spring as he learned new positions. Offensively, Shaw also had an up-and-down showing last year, posting a .556 OPS in the first half and an .839 OPS after the All-Star break. Shaw is hoping to be a steady part of the lineup in ‘26, so it will be interesting to see how the Cubs try to make that happen.”
Clearly, the Cubs would much prefer to have the bat Shaw displayed in the second half of last season as opposed to the first half. They have given him some reps in the outfield this spring, but he is still mastering his defense there.
Regardless, Chicago needs to find a way to get him in the lineup more days than not, and bring him in as a pinch hitter, perhaps, if they cannot have him starting.
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Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chicago-cubs-matt-shaw-unknown-mlb/
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