Matt Shaw’s second-half rise is turning into a must-watch story for Cubs fans

The Chicago Cubs may have a budding star in rookie third baseman Matt Shaw. Shaw has been red-hot since the All-Star break, and one of the only producers in a Cubs offense that, up until recently, has been in a frustrating slump. It’s been an up-and-down rookie season for Shaw, but things seem to be leveling out, and it looks like he has finally turned a corner in his development.

It was a slow start for Shaw this season amid high hopes that he could fill the Cubs’ void at third base that was left by the departure of Isaac Paredes, who was part of the Kyle Tucker trade. Shaw made the Opening Day roster, only to be reassigned to the minors by mid-April. This was a big blow to both the team and likely Shaw’s confidence. However, after making some minor adjustments to his swing, in particular, his pre-swing leg kick, the rookie was recalled by the Cubs on May 19.

Shaw hit a robust .359 in May, but soon struggled again, hitting just .193 in the month of June. The up-and-down results weren’t finished yet though. Shaw began to rebound in July, and has seemingly found his groove following the All-Star break. Shaw’s comparative first and second half numbers really tell the story of just how good he’s been as of late.

Prior to the All-Star break, Shaw hit just .198/.276/.280 with two home runs and 15 RBIs, good for an OPS of .556. He also had a 60 wRC+ (weighted runs created plus). This stat measures a hitter’s production, adjusted for ballpark and league factors, with the value “100” representing the league average. With his wRC+ being just 60, Shaw was well below average offensively in the first half.

Matt Shaw has been one of the best players in MLB in the last month

Since the second half began, Shaw has not only been the hottest hitter in the Cubs lineup, but one of the hottest hitters in the league. He’s slashed .302/.344/.721 while belting nine home runs and driving in 18 runs. Shaw’s 1.065 second-half OPS is good for seventh-best in baseball for players with a minimum of 90 plate appearances. His .721 slugging percentage ranks third in baseball for hitters with the same qualifying plate appearances. Shaw also sports a superb 189 wRC+ since the break.

The numbers don’t tell the complete story here either. Shaw’s at-bats recently have been stellar. He has worked multiple deep counts and forced opposing pitchers to throw large numbers of extra pitches in his at-bats. It’s as if the light bulb has gone on for him, and we’re watching it in real time, and it’s fascinating to see.

If Shaw has indeed turned a corner in his development, the Cubs' lineup could be even more dangerous down the stretch if and when some of their slumping stars start hitting again. And to think that just a few weeks ago, rumors were flying about the Cubs possibly looking for a third baseman at the trade deadline. Now it seems Jed Hoyer staying put was the right move as Shaw continues to blossom before our eyes.