MESA, Ariz. — Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw had quite the introduction to the majors last week. Not only did he face hard-throwing Dodgers pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, but he did it in another country.
Shaw’s performance over the two-game Tokyo Series to start the regular season was disjointed: In the first game March 18, a 4-1 Cubs loss, he committed an error on an off-balance throw to first base. The next day, in a 6-3 loss, he completed a similar throw without incident. At the plate, he went just 1-for-9 in the series.
Shaw, 23, the 13th pick of the 2023 draft, said his veteran teammates didn’t give him any advice as he struggled, which he took as a vote of confidence.
“The best advice has been no advice,” he told the Sun-Times. “We played two games, and it’s a long season. Sometimes you can make [mistakes and] people are all over you. [But] there weren’t any easy at-bats there. Those are all talented pitchers. We’re all trying to catch a groove right now.”
Although the series proved challenging because of the travel and the fact the Cubs were playing the defending World Series champions, Shaw said the experience has prepared him for domestic Opening Day on Thursday against the Diamondbacks. In particular, the way the Dodgers attacked him was a crash course in handling major-league pitchers. Shaw faced 13 high-velocity fastballs without a hit.
“I was surprised at the amount of fastballs I was getting,” he said. “As a young guy, you’re gonna get pitched more fastballs early, more strikes. For me, I need to be ready to hit. They threw me some pitches early to hit, but obviously they’re throwing it 100 mph.”
The opportunity is there for Shaw after the Cubs failed to sign All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman in the offseason. They need his bat and better defense as they aim to return to the postseason in a full season for the first time since 2018.
Despite the shaky start, they’re confident he can acclimate quickly.
“The league is going to challenge you at times,” manager Craig Counsell said. “It’s going to feel like, ‘Oh, man, it’s just a different level.’ It’s the best league in the world, and there’s an adjustment to it. Matt’s going to be a really good hitter in the league. We’ve got to acknowledge there’s going to be some tough times, too, but he’s been a very quick learner wherever he’s been.”
Although young teammates such as catcher Miguel Amaya, outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and first baseman Michael Busch can help Shaw adapt, his best teacher will be experience.
“You’ve got to figure it out,” Counsell said. “Nobody’s going to hold your hand through this thing. We’ll try to hold his hand, but that’s not going to help him. It’ll help a little bit, but you’ve got to produce.”
The Cubs will give Shaw as much leeway as possible to work through his growing pains, but they’re in a win-now window. And they have an unfavorable early schedule, facing the Diamondbacks, Athletics, Padres and Rangers before a West Coast trip in April.
“We’re gonna see the best of the best,” Shaw said. “So we’re not going to be surprised by anything midway through the season or later in the season. We’re getting thrown into the fire. I think for a team, that builds strength [and] culture from the very early stages of the season. We’re ready for that.”