2023 MLB Draft Profile: Matt Shaw
Speed and contact–two things that many MLB teams nowadays don’t value as much as I think we should. They are necessary spark plugs for any contending teams and would be a must for me should I ever end up a GM. I say this because it leads us to our next prospect Matt Shaw, who is all about making contact and flying around the bases. Let’s take a deeper look into his 2023 MLB Draft profile!
Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 60 | Arm: 45 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55
Matt Shaw is probably my favorite prospect out of the top five I’ve already covered. He has that blazing speed you can’t teach which should easily translate into 30-plus stolen bases at the next level, but the speed is far from the only thing Shaw brings to the table.
At the plate, Shaw is a more than capable hitter. He is an incredibly patient hitter working a lot of walks and limiting strikeouts. This approach allows him to drive a ton of baseballs and gives him plus power at the plate.
He strives on making hard contact every at-bat and constantly sprays the ball to all parts of the field. The power also translates to all parts of the field with many of his home runs at Maryland going to right center.
At 5-foot-11, the power certainly sneaks up on you but his approach more than makes up for his smaller frame. The bat is overall a huge plus for Matt Shaw and will be a big part of why he gets taken in the first round.
Defensively, though, Shaw isn’t a slouch. His glove is more than capable of keeping him at short but his weaker arm limits the MLB potential of him holding that position. However, at Maryland, he played multiple different positions including second base, third base and the outfield.
His profile will likely see him ending up as second for whoever takes him, which shouldn’t affect his draft stock too much with how good he can be with the bat.
Again, I really love Matt Shaw. If your team is able to snag him later in the first, consider yourself lucky. The elite speed with a great bat is a deadly combo that too many teams ignore in today’s game.
He may never be a 30-plus home run hitter and that’s O.K. He can easily be a 20-HR/40-SB type of player which is more than okay in my eyes. I love Matt Shaw and you should too.
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