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Matt Shaw Makes Outfield Debut on Opening Day
Chicago Cubs infielder Matt Shaw will bat ninth and play right field during Thursday's Opening Day contest against the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field. Between the minors and majors, Shaw has never played the outfield in a regular-season contest. However, he did spend 50 innings in right field and 14 innings in center field during spring training, indicating that the Cubs were very interested in moving him around defensively. Indeed, they'll get his bat and glove into the lineup for Game 1 of the regular season. He slashed just .226/.295/.394 last year, but he still contributed 13 home runs, 17 steals, and 93 wRC+ across 126 games. Shaw was a rookie in 2025, so we wouldn't be surprised to see him take a step forward offensively in his second season. He'll get his first chance at making that leap on Thursday as the Cubs face Nationals right-hander Cade Cavalli. Shaw has never faced Cavalli before, but he posted a mere .649 OPS with a 22.0% strikeout rate and 82 wRC+ against right-handed pitchers in 2025.
Source: Jacob Zanolla
Source: Jacob Zanolla
