As Matt Shaw was getting ready to cross home plate following his walk-off home run Thursday, May 15, the Iowa Cubs third baseman tossed off his helmet and replaced it with a big hat built like a hot dog. The hat, being carried by teammate Chase Strumpf, was placed on Shaw before his teammates mobbed him.
“It’s our home run hat,” Shaw said.
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The hat was bestowed upon Shaw after the Chicago Cubs top prospect blasted one of the biggest hits of Iowa’s day. Shaw’s solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning gave Iowa an 8-7 win over the St. Paul Saints in Game 2 of a doubleheader at Principal Park.
Mar 31, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Chicago Cubs second base Matt Shaw (6) before the game against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
Both games were scheduled to go seven innings. Shaw, ranked the No. 1 prospect in the entire organization, according to MLB Pipeline, ended the second game in extra innings with his second home run of the day.
“It was a long day,” Shaw said. “So, it’s good to try to continue to put together good at-bats even after we’re playing baseball for about six and a half hours.”
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Thursday’s performance was a huge step in the right direction for Shaw. The 23-year-old first-round pick by the Chicago Cubs in 2023 began the season in the majors but was sent back to Iowa in April after hitting just .172 with 18 strikeouts in 18 games. Shaw’s goal during the demotion: Get his timing back at the plate.
“That means a little bit different for everybody,” Shaw said. “So, for me, it just means getting back on top of the baseball.”
Shaw believes he began doing that during Iowa’s recent road trip to Toledo. During the team’s May 9 game, Shaw had two hits including a triple and a homer. Four days later, he homered again in Des Moines against the Saints. On May 14, Shaw picked up two more hits in a game.
“It kind of clicked right away,” Shaw said. “It felt great. And I’ve just been consistent since then.”
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It shows. Shaw delivered one of the best performances of his season Thursday. After going 1-for-3 with a walk in the first game of Iowa’s doubleheader, Shaw broke through with a huge Game 2. He led off the bottom of the first inning by going the other way with a fastball and hitting it 368 feet to right field for a home run.
Shaw wasn’t done though. After Strumpf smashed a game-tying two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning, Shaw stepped to the plate. He smacked the first pitch he saw, a changeup at 82.5 mph, to center field for a home run. The ball rocketed off Shaw’s bat at 102.5 mph.
“Obviously those are great days and you have a lot of days that are you’re just grinding through and putting together good at-bats,” Shaw said. “So, it’s really nice to have one of those days where everything kind of falls into place and you get a couple of home runs and you have a good day.”
The hope is that there are even more good days at the plate for Shaw, who has now hit safety in his last four contests and six out of his last seven games. The recent run of success has bumped Shaw’s average up to .284 with a .927 OPS with Iowa. It has fans once again clamoring for Shaw to return to the big leagues.
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“It feels good to be in a position where I feel confident and ready for when that comes because defensively, on the bases and all that stuff, I feel like it’s coming together really well,” Shaw said.
When the call comes, Shaw said he feels like he’ll deliver at the plate this time around for the Cubs.
“I just feel like I’m back to being myself, being confident and understanding what I have to do to be successful,” he said.
“I feel ready which is really good. I think whenever I get the opportunity, I’m in a good place, mentally and physically. So, just stay consistent in the meantime.”
Tommy Birch, the Register’s sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He’s the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Chicago Cubs top prospect belts walk-off home run in Iowa Cubs win