Shaw preps for MLB debut in familiar surroundings ... Tokyo?

TOKYO -- Stepping foot inside the historic Tokyo Dome was a new experience for most of the Cubs¡¯ players this weekend. That was not the case for Matt Shaw, who arrived at the famous ballpark already having witnessed the passionate fans who fill the place and spike the decibel level.

Shaw is preparing for his Major League debut in the upcoming Tokyo Series against the Dodgers, but he was already prepared for the venue. In November, the rookie suited up for Team USA in the Premier12 tournament, during which the medal games took place in the home of the Yomiuri Giants.

¡°It¡¯s great to have some memories here,¡± Shaw said. ¡°Definitely, having played here before is helpful. Being on the field and being around here, everything¡¯s familiar, so there¡¯s definitely a bit of comfort.¡±

Shaw enters the season as the top Cubs prospect per MLB Pipeline and No. 19 in baseball, but he is already on the cusp of graduating from the rankings. With a vacancy at third base, Chicago gave the 23-year-old an opportunity to claim the job, and he did enough to earn a seat on the plane to Japan.

Given that he took the same flight in November, Shaw knew what to expect in terms of a sleep strategy with the time-zone difference and how to navigate his way around Tokyo. The only difference, of course, was that this team plane was filled with the Major League team en route to an Opening Day series that will be on the world¡¯s stage.

¡°The more experience you¡¯ve had, maybe the more capable you are to handle the next one,¡± Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. ¡° The next one¡¯s always bigger by definition.¡±

In the fifth inning of Sunday¡¯s 4-2 exhibition win over the Yomiuri Giants, Shaw sent a pitch to right field with an exit velocity of 100 mph. The ball dropped sharply to the turf for a single, bringing in a pair of runs for the Cubs. It was a familiar sight for any fans who saw Shaw play throughout the Premier12.

During that showcase with Team USA, Shaw hit at a .412 clip and led the tournament with 14 RBIs and 24 total bases. That followed a strong 2024 Minor League season, in which he hit .284/.379/.488 with 21 home runs, 19 doubles, four triples, 71 RBIs, 31 stolen bases and 78 runs in 121 games between Double-A and Triple-A.

It was the type of year that put Shaw on the MLB radar for this season.

¡°Matt is a very talented young player who has really excelled at every challenge that we have given him as a professional player," Counsell said. "So, he has earned the ability to be on this roster and he¡¯s earned the right to be in the starting lineup. And we¡¯re excited about what the future holds for him.¡±

Chicago has pushed Shaw since taking him 13th overall in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft.

After he hit .341 with a 1.42 OPS in 62 games for the University of Maryland, the Cubs were aggressive in moving him up the ladder in his first summer of professional baseball. Shaw soared three levels from the Rookie-Level Arizona Complex League to Double-A Knoxville, hitting .357 with a 1.018 OPS in his first 38 games in Chicago¡¯s system.

With the Major League middle-infield duo of second baseman Nico Hoerner and shortstop Dansby Swanson locked in on multiyear deals, the Cubs then tasked Shaw with a move to third base. He began working diligently on the position in the winter before his 2024 campaign and has continued to hone his skills at that spot.

During the Premier12, Shaw was named to the All-World Team at third base. The next box to check is being named as the Cubs¡¯ third baseman regularly this season.

¡°It¡¯s been a lot of different jumps along the way,¡± Shaw said. ¡°And playing in the P12 was great to be around some awesome coaching. There¡¯s been a lot of different experiences, and they¡¯ve all kind of continued to build up to this moment.¡±

Maybe being in a familiar stop will calm any nerves ahead of his MLB debut.

¡°Once I get to the park and I¡¯m here moving around, I feel like I¡¯ll be pretty focused and locked in on the day," Shaw said. "And then I¡¯m sure afterward, once kind of everything fades and I can take a breath, it¡¯ll be a lot of emotions.¡±