The Cubs used their first draft pick on former Maryland infielder Matt Shaw, the Big 10 Player of the Year in 2023 and Cape Cod League MVP last summer. He’s got massive power, as you can see below in the video of a 507-foot homer he hit against Iowa, and he’s brimming with grounded confidence.
“I wanted to be at a team that I thought would move me up,” Shaw said shortly after being drafted, “and give me the opportunity to kind of fail early and learn, to kind of get my footing through playing against really good competition.