This Chicago Cubs prospect has been even better than Kris Bryant

The Chicago Cubs have made a series of good decisions over the last 365 days.

They traded for Michael Busch, who appears to be the best bat on the roster. They chose to slow-play the pitching market and sign Shota Imanaga rather than higher-priced options, only to see him maintain a 0.00 ERA through three starts. They even stole the best manager in baseball from a division rival.

However, the best decision they made may be drafting Matt Shaw in the first round of the MLB Draft back in July.

Making comparisons to Kris Bryant may seem absurd. Bryant was the face of a team that ended the longest drought in American sports history. He won Rookie of the Year and followed that season by winning the MVP.

However, the numbers don’t lie:

Matt Shaw is not only the Chicago Cubs best third base prospect since Kris Bryant, he is better.

Matt Shaw has a higher batting average, a higher on-base percentage, and a lower strikeout percentage all while hitting just one fewer home run than Bryant did through their first 45 games as professionals. 

Obviously, Bryant has struggled mightily since signing a very lucrative deal with the Colorado Rockies, but I think I can speak confidently for pretty much every Cubs fan when I say: if Matt Shaw can continue to be as good as Kris Bryant was early in his career that is an absolutely massive win. 

With third base being one of the few holes on the roster at the moment, it may not be long before Shaw forces his way to the majors. Shaw's arrival could come as soon as this season if the Cubs decide to push their chips to the middle of the table and go all-in this season in hopes of securing a postseason spot.