'I'll remember everything': Shaw makes much-anticipated debut in Tokyo

TOKYO -- Matt Shaw has been waiting his entire baseball life to hear his name announced on Opening Day. The Cubs rookie had to wait a little longer on Tuesday night, as the Tokyo Series pregame celebration energized the Tokyo Dome crowd.

Lights flashed from the wrists of the fans who packed the famous ballpark and a large Pikachu mascot bounced and waved as Cubs players were introduced and jogged through smoke and to the first-base line. Shaw¡¯s name was fifth, and he emerged for a wild first act to what the Cubs hope is a long and impactful career.

¡°I¡¯ll remember everything,¡± said Shaw, MLB Pipeline¡¯s top Cubs prospect and No. 19 on the preseason Top 100 list. ¡°You try to take in everything the whole time.¡±

The Cubs dropped their historic Opening Day tilt against the World Series-champion Dodgers, 4-1, but Shaw can check ¡°Major League debut¡± off his list of goals for this season. He was slotted into the fifth spot of Chicago¡¯s lineup and manned third base, doing so less than two years after hearing his name called in the MLB Draft.

Once the Cubs picked him 13th overall in the first round of the ¡®23 Draft, Shaw made it clear from the jump that he hopes to move fast in the team¡¯s system. The Cubs gave him plenty of tests as he advanced from level to level, but the 23-year-old Shaw kept producing and convincing Chicago to keep pushing him.

Shaw climbed three levels to Double-A in ¡®23, posting a 1.018 OPS in his first year of professional baseball after having a 1.142 OPS earlier that summer for the University of Maryland. In ¡®24, Shaw began his move to third base from the middle infield and found his way to Triple-A Iowa by the end of the season.

His journey culminated in his place in the Cubs¡¯ Opening Day lineup.

¡°Since we drafted Matt,¡± Cubs manager Craig Counsell said, ¡°every challenge that really baseball, the Cubs, the leagues he¡¯s been in, that have been in front of him, he has thrived in. You put a challenge in front of him, he wins the challenge.

¡°And he has been a performer everywhere he¡¯s gone. With his pedigree, it¡¯s something that you say, ¡®Who knows if a guy¡¯s ready?' But he¡¯s passed every test. And that makes you think he¡¯s ready.¡±

In his first taste of the Major Leagues, Shaw was tasked with facing Dodgers star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The rookie grounded out in the second and then struck out against one of Yamamoto¡¯s nasty splitters in the fourth. Shaw went without a hit in his final two at-bats, including a strikeout to end the game on a 97.7 mph heater from Tanner Scott.

Shaw also made a throwing error in the sixth inning, though the Cubs managed to escape that frame unscathed. It all added up to a tough day on the diamond for the young third baseman, but being able to move beyond the nerves that can coincide with a debut -- let alone, one taking place in Tokyo -- was an important step.

¡°This is a wonderful moment for him,¡± Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. ¡°It¡¯s pretty cool he gets to make his Major League debut in Tokyo Dome against the Dodgers, which is amazing. But ultimately, this is a nice thing for his scrapbook. It¡¯s fun, but ultimately, it¡¯s about staying here. It¡¯s about performing.

¡°We¡¯ve seen a lot of guys come up here and they had success in the Minors, and there¡¯s ups and downs. I think he has the mental fortitude and makeup to handle that, but it gets a lot harder.¡±

Shaw got a glimpse of the next challenge he is being asked to win on Tuesday.

¡°Leading up to it, you¡¯re extremely excited,¡± Shaw said. ¡°There¡¯s a ton of emotions that go along with it. And then, you¡¯re just playing another baseball game once it starts. Unfortunately, we didn¡¯t play an amazing game tonight, but that¡¯s baseball.¡±