Counsell: Shaw will join Cubs in Japan for Tokyo Series

Top prospect Matt Shaw will join the Chicago Cubs for their Tokyo Series games against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"I think Matt Shaw is going to Japan," Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters Tuesday, per Marquee Sports Network. "That's probably the news, the big news."

Shaw is the 19th-ranked prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline. He entered Tuesday hitting .286/.375/.286 through five spring training games with two walks and just one strikeout.

The third baseman impressed in 121 games split between Double-A and Triple-A in 2024. He hit 21 home runs, stole 31 bases, and posted a combined 146 wRC+ with an excellent 11.9% walk rate.

The 23-year-old has a clear path to playing time after the Cubs traded Isaac Paredes to the Houston Astros as part of the Kyle Tucker deal.

Chicago took Shaw 13th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft.

The two-game Tokyo Series between the Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers gets underway March 18.