Matt Shaw Continues to Flash Elite Leather at 3B

In between their broadcasts of Taylor McGregor’s kayak adventures in the Bay and the Corner Taproom in Colin Rea‘s hometown of Cascade, Iowa on Wednesday night, Marquee managed to show some Cubs highlights. Nico Hoerner‘s three-run homer provided the only offense for a team that routinely struggled to surpass three runs per game this month, making the constant cutaways less of a nuisance than they might otherwise have been. I don’t think most viewers took the novelty very well, though.

I didn’t really mind, as it distracted from yet another poor performance that felt both inevitable and preventable. Rather than question why Justin Turner and Carson Kelly — both of whom grounded into inning-ending double plays with the bases loaded — are batting in the heart of the order with the team’s best hitter in the eight hole, I’d like to focus on what said hitter did with the glove. Or rather, has been doing.

Matt Shaw was sold by many in both the professional and (decidedly) amateur scouting community as a bat-first prospect who didn’t have the arm to play third base. He’d have to end up at second base to have any shot of earning everyday playing time, which meant the Cubs should trade Nico Hoerner for a starting pitcher. Setting aside the fact that Hoerner has been one of the club’s best and most consistent all-around performers since he debuted, the Shaw slander never quite made sense.

This is a guy who played mostly shortstop in college while earning Big 10 Player of the Year honors at Maryland, so it’s not as though he was only capable of making shorter throws from the right side. His athleticism jumped off the page, allowing him to make adjustments both in the field and at the plate. The latter aspect of Shaw’s game has gotten the most attention lately, as his .984 OPS since the break ranks 14th in MLB, but his glove has opened eyes as well.

That probably doesn’t come as a surprise to Mike Scioscia, who managed Shaw and Team USA this past offseason in the Premier12 tournament.

“He had the opportunity to work with two of the best infield coaches that we have in the United States: Dino Ebel and Keith Johnson,” Team USA manager Mike Scioscia told Jason Coskrey of The Japan Times. “The work they put in with Matt, it paid off quickly. You saw him play great defensive third base in this tournament. It’s a newer position for him, but with the Cubs, I think that’s where they’re projecting him to play as he gets in the major leagues.

“On the defensive side, he improved so much in just one month. On the offensive side, I think you saw his ability to drive the ball to all parts of the ballpark, and he runs the bases well. He’s got a great future.”

Still, there’s a difference between being competent enough to hold down the hot corner — especially for a Cubs team that has employed more butchers than a meat market over the last few seasons — and displaying defensive excellence. Shaw has shown excellent range, along with the ability to charge choppers and fire fastballs to first on the run with accuracy.

Matt Shaw continues to make plays at third base ?‍? pic.twitter.com/ahm5m3uDKB

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) August 28, 2025

That all adds up to nine defensive runs saved, second at third base to only Ke’Bryan Hayes (16) of the Pirates and Reds. Shaw would be at around 12 DRS in the same number of innings as Hayes, for what it’s worth, though Ernie Clement of Toronto and Nacho Alvarez of Atlanta both have eight runs saved in significantly fewer innings than the Cubs rookie. I share that in the interest of full transparency because this isn’t about glazing Shaw, as the kids say.

Rather, the point is simply to say that Shaw is and can continue to be a very strong defensive presence at third for a Cubs team that has seen a veritable archipelago of talent at the position over the years. Just a bunch of islands floating in an ocean of meh. Now if only Shaw’s bat could be deployed in a more valuable spot in the order. Nah, that’s probably too much to ask.