Chicago Cubs News: Why the Cubs drafted SS Matt Shaw over a pitcher in the 1st round

Drafting the best player is always the answer

There were plenty of fans that wanted a pitcher in this spot. Unfortunately for the Cubs (and any other team that wanted a pitcher), the class wasn’t as loaded as some previous classes had been with arm talent and therefore passing on Shaw would have meant reaching in a very significant way to solve a (mis)perceived deficit in the Cubs’ system.

After the Cubs drafted Shaw at 13 the next pitcher taken wouldn’t come off of the board until high school pitcher Bryce Eldridge went 19th and college pitcher Hurston Waldrep went 23rd to the Atlanta Braves. 

I could have seen an argument for drafting Kyle Teel, a catcher from Virginia. I would have made an argument for the leadoff-hitting, base-stealing, center fielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. However, both of them would have been college hitters and wouldn’t have solved the problem that some fans have with the pick.

This leads directly into the next reason that drafting Matt Shaw was the correct decision.