Matt Shaw's legacy grows with latest prospect expert's prediction

Justin Turner made his Spring Training debut for the Chicago Cubs on Monday, singling in his first plate appearance in a Cubs uniform.

Tuner has been at the center of the rumors surrounding the Cubs to close out their offseason. After a very public swing-and-miss on trying to land All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman, the Cubs quickly pivoted to Turner to round out their bench. That is the first key component of Turner's addition, he is rounding out the bench. If anything, Turner could be the starting first baseman against left-handed starting pitchers but speculation that he is a third base option should be discarded after his Spring Training. While Turner can likely play third base in an "in case of an emergency, break glass" situation, he was the team's designated hitter on Monday.

Gage Workman was the Cubs' third baseman on Monday and if he makes the Major League roster for Opening Day, Workman along with veteran Jon Berti will be ahead of Turner on the depth chart for third base.

It's no secret who the Cubs' Opening Day third baseman will be. Matt Shaw is that answer, and after the failed pursuit of Bregman, whether fair or not, there are heightened expectations on the team's top prospect. The Cubs have a lineup where he doesn't need to be "the guy" but him being "the guy" could be the difference between the team being an 83-win pretender or a legitimate postseason contender.

Keith Law of The Athletic recently examined 25 rookies who may have the most impact on the 2025 season, and it's no surprise to see Shaw top the list. Law does caution against projecting top prospects to hit the Major League level immediately but offers a scenario where he posts a .350 OBP and knocks on the door of hitting 20 home runs in his rookie season.

Far or not, Matt Shaw is expected to contribute in a big way in 2025

In case you're wondering, Bregman's Steamer projections for 2025 have him at 22 home runs with a .348 OBP.

Shaw has yet to make his Spring Training debut but given the speculation that has surrounded third base for the Cubs this offseason, the top prospect is already facing lofty expectations. There are several factors that will determined if the Cubs' 2025 season will be a success but few are more important than Shaw's development.