The Chicago Cubs took a chance on Matt Shaw as their starting third baseman in 2025. Starting a rookie is always risky.

But Cubs manager Craig Counsell believes the former first-round pick got more grief than he deserved at times last season.

“We don’t have many holes in the position player group, so I think the young player kind of gets picked on a little bit and I don’t know if that’s fair,” Counsell said in an interview with Bruce Levine via Marquee Sports.

Counsell was talking about first baseman Michael Busch, second baseman Nico Hoerner, and shortstop Dansby Swanson. It’s a solid veteran group, with both Hoerner and Swanson having won National League Gold Gloves. Counsell believes its possible Shaw can get there, perhaps as early as next season.

Matt Shaw’s 2025 Season with CubsEmpty heading

Shaw made the Cubs’ opening-day roster as the team went to Japan to open the season against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Tokyo. The bat was shaky to start the season, and he was even optioned back to Triple-A Iowa on Aug. 15 to work on his swing. At the time, he was slashing .172/.294/.241.

He returned from Iowa on May 19 and played the rest of the season for the Cubs, avoiding injury and playing 126 games for a team that reached the playoffs for the first time since the COVID-shortened 2020.

By season’s end, he slashed .226/.295/.394 with 13 home runs and 44 RBI. He hit 11 of his 13 home runs after July 1.

Counsell said Shaw, who was the Cubs’ first-round pick in 2023 and transitioned from shortstop to third base in the minor leagues, needed that kind of season.

“I think he saw the big-league game, it kind of kicked him, it kind of punched him and knocked him down a little bit,” he said. “He got back up and had a really good second half.”

Counsell also said that he believes Shaw has Gold Glove potential at third base, even though his rookie season ended with a minus-1 defensive runs saved and minus-1 outs above average. He finished with a fielding percentage of .977 at third base, as he was charged with seven errors in 301 chances. It was a solid start for the former Maryland star.

Both Counsell and president of baseball operations, Jey Hoyer, have faith in Shaw’s future, which is why Hoyer told reporters on Monday he was surprised by trade rumors surrounding the 24-year-old. To hear them both tell it, Shaw will be their third baseman for years to come.

“Honestly, I’ve been surprised by the number of media reports that kind of link us to different guys,” Hoyer said to outlets. “There’s zero lack of confidence in Matt. Actually, I would say the opposite.”