Matt Shaw Fantasy Stats

Chicago Cubs infielder Matt Shaw will bat ninth and play right field during Thursday's Opening Day contest against the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field. Between the minors and majors, Shaw has never played the outfield in a regular-season contest. However, he did spend 50 innings in right field and 14 innings in center field during spring training, indicating that the Cubs were very interested in moving him around defensively. Indeed, they'll get his bat and glove into the lineup for Game 1 of the regular season. He slashed just .226/.295/.394 last year, but he still contributed 13 home runs, 17 steals, and 93 wRC+ across 126 games. Shaw was a rookie in 2025, so we wouldn't be surprised to see him take a step forward offensively in his second season. He'll get his first chance at making that leap on Thursday as the Cubs face Nationals right-hander Cade Cavalli. Shaw has never faced Cavalli before, but he posted a mere .649 OPS with a 22.0% strikeout rate and 82 wRC+ against right-handed pitchers in 2025.

Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw will begin to play more outfield over the next two weeks in spring training, according to Bruce Levine of the Marquee Sports Network. Levine reported in mid-February that Shaw is expected to start in right field in Chicago this year against left-handed pitchers, with outfielder Seiya Suzuki moving to designated hitter on those days. The 24-year-old didn't exactly play well in his first exposure to big-league pitching in 2025, slashing .226/.295/.394 with a .690 OPS, 13 home runs, 44 RBI, 57 runs scored, and 17 stolen bases in 437 plate appearances over 126 regular-season games. Shaw will be in more of a super-utility role in his sophomore season. The role won't help Shaw's case to rack up counting stats in fantasy, but it could make him more productive overall at the plate. Shaw's fantasy stock has fallen going into 2026, but he's still worth consideration as corner-infield depth late in drafts, and he should eventually have outfield eligibility.

Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell told Bruce Levine that third baseman Matt Shaw is "definitely going to be getting a lot of time in the outfield" in 2026. When the Cubs face a left-handed pitcher, the expectation is that Shaw will be in right field, with Seiya Suzuki moving to designated hitter. After struggling with regular playing time at third base in his first taste of the big leagues in 2025, the 24-year-old Shaw figures to be in more of a utility role in Year 2. He hit just .226/.295/.394 with a .690 OPS, 13 home runs, 44 RBI, 57 runs scored, and 17 stolen bases in 126 regular-season games over 437 plate appearances. After a demotion to Triple-A, Shaw rebounded at the plate for a bit before finishing cold in the postseason. The addition of Alex Bregman will make it tougher on Shaw's development, but he showed enough power/speed promise last year to be worth a late-round corner-infield investment in 2026 fantasy drafts.

According to Jessee Rogers of ESPN, Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw could see time in the outfield during the upcoming season. Last week, the Cubs signed free agent third baseman Alex Bregman to a massive five-year contract, which will likely block Shaw out of a starting role in the infield with Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson, and Michael Busch slated to cover second base, shortstop, and first base, respectively. However, the team's President of Baseball Operations, Jed Hoyer, expressed that the team could get creative to find Shaw at-bats, especially in the outfield. Shaw made his MLB debut at the beginning of the 2025 season and struggled, posting a low .226/.295/.394 line across 126 gams. However, he did hit 13 home runs and swipe 17 bags. Managers should monitor Shaw's usage during spring training. While the Cubs' outfield is currently crowded as well, Shaw could take on a super-utility role, which could earn him close to every-day at-bats. For now, he is best left for deeper 15+ team redraft leagues given his unknown role.

Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw could lose playing time after the signing of Alex Bregman, or the team could look to move him in a trade. There was initial speculation that the team could move the top prospect to 2B and look to trade Nico Hoerner, but The Athletic's Keith Law reported that Shaw has shown "resistance to help from the Cubs' staff" and could be a trade candidate as a result. Shaw hit .226 in his 126 games last season with 13 home runs, a .300 wOBA, and an elevated 21.5% striekout rate. The 24-year-old Shaw would be an interesting acquisition for any team looking for young infield help since he has shown so much promise, but struggled to put it together in the majors. In 2024, he hit .284 between Double-A and Triple-A with 21 homers and 31 stolen bases. He has great upside but comes with some coachability questions, which makes him an intriguing but risky potential addition this offseason.

Chicago Cubs former top prospect Matt Shaw appears to be in serious danger of falling into a reserve role for the 2026 campaign. On Saturday night, the Cubs inked a massive five-year $175 million contract with third baseman free agent Alex Bregman. However, with Bregman now slated to cover the hot corner on the North Side of Chicago, Shaw could be shifted to the bench early in the season. In 2025, Shaw logged 124 games at third base and added four at the kystone. With Nico Hoerner locked in as the everyday second baseman, Shaw will likely take on a super-utility role, which will hurt his short-term fantasy value. In his debut campaign, the former 13th overall pick posted a disappointing .226/.295/.394 line with 13 home runs nd 17 stolen bases. Given this signing, Shaw is only worth targeting late in drafts in 15+ team formats for the time being.

Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw (personal) was held out of the starting lineup from Sunday's loss to the Cincinnati Reds. Shaw is currently away from the team to attend a funeral. The rookie slugger is expected to return to the team on Tuesday. In the meantime, Justin Turner figures to see increased playing time at the hot corner. Shaw was swinging a hot bat in the second half, but has struggled in the month of September. He's really only a deep league option at this point.

Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw is back in the lineup on Friday against Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Shane Baz. He'll play third base and bat ninth. Shaw was scratched from the lineup for the Cubs' 3-2 win over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday while dealing with a personal matter, though he did pinch hit. After a productive August (.839 OPS, five home runs, 10 RBI), Shaw has slumped in his first nine games this month. He's 5-for-24 (.208) with a double, four RBI, eight strikeouts, and four walks. Overall, the 23-year-old rookie has batted .226/.292/.388 with 11 homers, 39 RBI, 47 runs, and 16 steals in 383 plate appearances.

Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw (personal) was scratched from the starting lineup ahead of Wednesday's game against the Atlanta Braves. Shaw will step away from the team for at least a day to deal with a personal matter. Willi Castro will take over at third base and bat eighth versus left-hander Chris Sale. Castro won't be a recommended streaming option here against an elite southpaw. Fantasy managers should check back on Thursday for another update on Shaw.

Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw is absent from the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Colorado Rockies. Shaw will head to the bench after starting in five straight games. He has struggled with only two hits over his last three games. The rookie infielder could use a day off to get his head straight. Willi Castro will take over third base and bat ninth versus right-hander McCade Brown. Shaw has been in a mini slump at the plate, but outside of that he has been crushing the ball in the second half of the season. He's worth a look in most 12-team formats right now.