(670 The Score) After missing out on star third baseman Alex Bregman in free agency this offseason, the Cubs turned their attention to rookie Matt Shaw at the position.
A prized prospect, Shaw made his MLB debut when the Cubs played the Dodgers in Tokyo in March. Since then, the early going of his young career has been a struggle.
The 23-year-old Shaw is hitting .170 with a .571 OPS while logging a .316 on-base percentage in his first 14 games. Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins likes Shaw's approach even if the results aren't what he'd like yet.
“From a broad scope, we’re trying to win baseball games, so we’re trying to make decisions to put our best team out there,” Hawkins said on the Mully & Haugh Show on Thursday. “But what Matt’s done really well is he’s played great defense, and I think there’s a lot of encouraging signs at the plate. The plate discipline, that’s certainly been good, his ability to get on base, and I think he’s taken better swings over the last week.
“He’s seen some really good arms in some not-great-hitter-friendly weather. Hopefully, over the course of the next weeks and months, he’ll be able to slow things down a bit and get back to his natural talent. I expect that will happen.
“You look at all the young players around the league and just the adjustment it is to go up to the big leagues so quickly, it’s really, really difficult. I think the fact that we’re seeing some progress here is encouraging. We’ll continue to play that out.”
After an off day Thursday, the Cubs open a three-game series against the Dodgers on Friday. Pregame coverage will start at 8:35 p.m. on 670 The Score, with first pitch set for 9:10 p.m.