Coming into the 2025 MLB regular season, there was a lot of hype surrounding Chicago Cubs rookie third baseman Matt Shaw. He was taking over for Isaac Paredes, who was part of the trade package sent to the Houston Astros to bring right fielder Kyle Tucker to town.

As the Cubs have worked to get their offense back on track over the past month, the team’s rotation has done its part in holding the line. The starting staff has done so while also awaiting the return of veteran right-hander Jameson Taillon.

Kyle Tucker's numbers this August tell a stark story. Hitting just .160 with a .410 OPS and no extra-base hits over 14 games, his recent form is concerning. Notably, in his last six games, he has managed only two hits out of 21 at-bats.

The Cubs are also enamored with setup man Griffin Jax, whose elevated ERA (4.00) belies his skills as he boasts a strikeout rate of 36.5% while walking just 6.8% of the batters he’s faced.

Alex Cooper was booed while singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh-inning stretch at Wrigley Field during the Cubs-Cardinals game on Sunday, July 6, 2025.

Matt Shaw's impact on the 2025 Chicago Cubs may have come to a screeching halt. After being in the starting lineup nearly every day of June and July, Shaw has found himself out of the Cubs' lineup ...