Cubs select a Big Ten star with No. 13 pick in MLB Draft
When it was the Cubs' turn to pick at No. 13 in Sunday's MLB Draft, they bypassed pitchers, skipped the under-slots and went with a proven path.
They chose shortstop Matt Shaw from Maryland, a player who at first glance, seems reminiscent of Nico Hoerner, the No. 24 pick of the Cubs in 2018.
Shaw is billed as an athletic, serious, hardworking middle infielder who worked tirelessly to reach his goals in baseball.
"He's the most diligent human I've ever met," Maryland coach Matt Swope told the Baltimore Sun. "Just a savage when it comes to attention to detail. There's a lot of good college baseball players, who, when they get to pro ball, they don't have that diligence."
That part sounds like Hoerner, but there are some key differences.
Shaw is slightly smaller at 5-foot-11, 185 pounds than Hoerner (6-1, 200), but there is much more power to his game.
Shaw hit 24 home runs this spring, including a grand slam in Iowa City on March 31 that reportedly went 507 feet. It landed somewhere near the entrance of Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Shaw hit 53 home runs over three season for the Terrapins. Hoerner hit 3 home runs in three years at Stanford.
The Worcester, Massachusetts, native turned heads last summer by being named MVP of the Cape Cod League, posting an impressive batting line of .360/.432/.574. When Hoerner played on Cape Cod in 2017, he produced a .300/.356/.456 line.
Shaw's coach at Worcester Academy, Jim McNamara, gave his high-school-era scouting report to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
"A lot of things stood out," McNamara said. "One was how gifted he was athletically, his ability to move so gracefully and powerfully. Also, his work ethic. He was constantly working, constantly asking questions and trying to learn.
"He was always a plus-plus defender. He was our best athlete by far, so we certainly wanted him at shortstop, but he can really play anywhere, and that's something that's going to help him get to the big leagues quickly."
An Illinois player was drafted in the first round - CF Dillon Head from Homewood-Flossmoor High School by San Diego at No. 25.
The Cubs' second pick was 6-foot-6 right-hander Jaxon Wiggins from Arkansas. He did not pitch this season after needing Tommy John surgery in February. Last year as a sophomore, the Roland, Okla., native went 6-3 with a 6.55 ERA.
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