Image via MLB Pipeline tweet.

Matt Shaw Named to USA Baseball’s Premier12 Roster

Photo of Evan Altman Evan AltmanOctober 22, 2024

The 2024 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier12 tournament features the top 12 teams in the work as December 31, 2023 and will take place in multiple locations this November. Team USA is one of six teams in Group A and will play from November 9-14 in Guadalajara and Tepic, Mexico. The two top teams from group play will advance to the Super Round in Tokyo, Japan from November 21-24.

The 28-player roster consists of 15 pitchers and 13 position players, none of whom are currently on MLB 40-man rosters. That doesn’t mean they’re all prospects, however, as Cubs legend Rich Hill leads a group of oldsters who balance out the youth movement.

“We are all very excited about the Premier12 tournament,” said Team USA Manager Mike Scioscia. “Our Team USA roster is a great blend of talented young players and a strong veteran presence. We are looking forward to getting on the field to compete against the best baseball countries in the world.”

As noted in the headline, top-ranked Cubs prospect Matt Shaw is among those young players looking to make a name for themselves on the international stage. Ranked No. 22 overall by MLB Pipeline, Shaw has flown through the system in less than two seasons and appears to be almost ready for the show. The 13th overall pick in the 2023 draft shot to Double-A last summer after just 100 plate appearances, then spent an unnecessarily long time back at Tennesee to open this season.

Shaw slashed .279/.373/.468 with 14 homers and a 148 wRC+ in 371 plate appearances, and that was with a deadened ball suppressing offense in the Southern League. All he did in 152 PAs following an overdue promotion to Triple-A Iowa was slash .298/.395/.534 with seven homers and a 142 wRC+ that was only lower than at his previous stop because hitters performed a little better on the whole at that level.

The stout infielder carries 60-grade raw power and potential for the same game power with decent speed and a solid hit tool. His glove is the only real question mark, but the offense is enough to carry him even if his defense doesn’t develop as well. Shaw is also — and I say this with full understanding of how cliched it is — the kind of dude about whom you can say, “He has that dog in him” without feeling stupid after doing so.

And no, I’m not saying he’s from Springfield, OH.

I don’t know exactly how the Cubs plan to accommodate Shaw in Chicago next season, but I’d like to see him force his way onto the roster even if they don’t make moves to clear obvious room for him this winter. Nico Hoerner may have to miss some time after undergoing right flexor tendon surgery, but that’s just a temporary opening.

While some have pointed out that the Cubs gave a lot of PAs to a group of infielders who shouldn’t be around next season, that was largely circumstantial and can’t reasonably be consolidated into a semi-regular role for Shaw. First, Isaac Paredes being on the roster solidifies third base and eliminates most or all of the playing time previously allocated to Nick Madrigal and Miles Mastrobuoni. Patrick Wisdom is likely gone as well, but he only got 174 total PAs with just 38 as a third baseman.

Some believe Shaw’s arm leaves him better suited to second base, but it’s hard for me to see the Cubs moving Nico Hoerner’s glove and all-around performance in favor of the inherent volatility of a rookie. Flipping Paredes, whose ceiling is limited and whose value is based largely on his power, makes far more sense to me given the way the roster is currently constructed. Whether it’s with Shaw or otherwise, it’s a lot easier to replace Paredes than Hoerner.

Anywho, I’m looking forward to seeing how Shaw performs in a different environment. You can check out the full roster and more info on Premier12 here.

Photo of Evan Altman Evan AltmanOctober 22, 2024
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