Former Cubs prospect losing ground fast in race against Matt Shaw

For better or worse, Chicago Cubs rookie third baseman Matt Shaw will always be connected to Cam Smith. When the Cubs traded for Kyle Tucker last offseason, the impression was that the Astros wanted one of Smith or Shaw. With Shaw in line to be the Cubs' Opening Day third baseman, it made sense why Smith was the prize prospect in the deal.

Smith not only made the Astros' Opening Day roster, but for most of the season, it looked like the Cubs made a mistake in giving up their 2024 first-round pick instead of Shaw. Suddenly, however, the conversation seems much different.

During the Cubs' 9-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday night, Shaw hit his seventh home run of the season. For Shaw, it was his fifth home run since the All-Star break, and he now has the same number of home runs on the season as Smith, who has 111 more plate appearances on the season.

July 18 has become an important moment in Shaw's rookie season, as it was the day he debuted a revamped batting stance with an altered swing. Nearing a month of data since the change, Shaw is slashing .315/.327/.667 with a 176 wRC+ in 55 plate appearances.

Cubs fans see Matt Shaw outshine the former prospect tied to his name

Conversely, it seems that the league has adjusted to Smith. In 75 plate appearances since July 18, Smith is slashing .147/.213/.176 with an 11 wRC+.

Overall, this season, Shaw is quickly approaching the level of Smith. Smith enters Sunday with a wRC+ of 96 on the season, while Shaw is at 83. Considering the recent trend, however, there is a possibility that Shaw can catch Smith before the end of the season.

Generally, the seasons that Shaw and Smith are having speak to the ebbs and flows that exist during a rookie season. That said, the idea that the Cubs made an egregious mistake in giving up Smith instead of Shaw for Tucker can now be discarded.

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