BCB After Dark: Will Matt Shaw get time at second if Nico Hoerner isn’t ready on Opening Day?

Shaw made a pretty good case this offseason

Welcome back to your late night indie coffee shop where we’re wrapping up the week with all the beverages one could hope to hope for on a Thursday night. If you’re looking for some tea while you spill your tea to a friend, this is the place for you. If you’re looking for some whiskey to spike your fall beverage of choice, we don’t judge here. Everyone is welcome to join the conversation, just tidy up after yourself so Josh keeps letting us use this space after he closes down the Jazz and movies shop each week.

Depending on how deep into prospect baseball you are you may or may not be following the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier 12 tournament, and you know, I get it. The World Series just ended, the Arizona Fall League is wrapping up. There’s Dominican Winter Ball to check out and projections dropping at the major baseball publications. It totally makes sense that one more baseball tournament wouldn’t move the needle all that much.

However, if you’re like me you’re looking for any and all of the baseball distractions you can find. Enter stage right Group A of the WBSC Premier 12 — how’s this for a Group of Death?

That’s a rough group right there and pretty much everyone is still alive except Puerto Rico (Also, consider for a second an international baseball tournament where Puerto Rico might not make it out of the group stage. This is what I’m talking about.) There are a lot of interesting players in the WBSC Premier 12 and it’s worth keeping an eye on some of those names.

However, for fans of the Chicago Cubs there are some big time rooting interests playing in the WBSC Premier 12 this year — specifically a kid named Matt Shaw, the Cubs 2023 first round draft pick. We may see Shaw in the big leagues sooner rather than later, given offseason news that current starting second baseman Nico Hoerner had surgery to repair a flexor tendon in his right forearm.

However, before we dive into the Cubs depth chart, let’s dive into some tunes.

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The mood’s a bit more punk rock tonight at the old coffee house and frankly I blame the docuseries I rewatched earlier this week on Netflix: Woodstock 99. If you’re of a certain age the lineup at Woodstock 99 holds a lot of appeal. Also, the idea that this lineup was going to produce a second hippy fest filled with peace and love, is pretty laughable:

The festival featured a diverse assortment of acts, early reviews for many of which were positive.^[49][50] The Associated Press deemed Korn, Limp Bizkit, Kid Rock, Insane Clown Posse and Rage Against the Machine the “breakout stars” of the festival.^[51] Performances by the Offspring, Dave Matthews Band, DMX, Sheryl Crow, and Jamiroquai also received praise.

The thing about late nineties punk is that is really hit you in the feels. Not like the melancholy crying feels (we had alternative rock and a lot of women making songs for that) Like big time beats, simple lyrics. It was music made for simple acts of movement and energy and rage.

Also, consider for a moment a lineup where Korn and Rage Against the Machine were the adults in the room.

That’s what You’re Gonna Go Far Kid is at it’s core:

With a thousand lies and a good disguise
Hit ‘em right between the eyes
Hit ‘em right between the eyes
When you walk away, nothing more to say
See the lightning in your eyes
See ‘em running for their lives

Speaking of kids…

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In the history of Team USA competition there have only been two players with seven RBI in a game:

That’s right — Cubs prospect Matt Shaw had seven RBI in the Premier 12 competition this week matching only The Kid, Ken Griffey Jr.

That’s rarified air for the Cubs top prospect, and make no mistake — Matt Shaw is the Cubs top prospect according to Baseball America:

He’d likely get a look next season even if Nico Hoerner hadn’t had surgery this offseason. At some point in 2025 someone would have gotten hurt or Shaw would have pushed his way through. But with Nico potentially on the shelf for the early part of 2025, the only barrier to a pathway to playing time for Shaw at this moment is a spot on the 40-man roster.

According to Jordan Bastian, the Cubs MLB beat writer, these are the players who are in the way of Shaw making his debut early in the Cubs regular season:

The Cubs’ depth behind Hoerner on the 40-man roster for second base includes prospect Luis Vazquez, utility man Miles Mastrobuoni and infielder Nick Madrigal (a potential non-tender candidate). Matt Shaw, the Cubs’ No. 1 prospect and No. 22 on Pipeline’s Top 100 list, is quickly climbing to the next-man-up territory as well.

I’m sorry, but if Nick Madrigal or Miles Mastrobuoni are blocking anyone of the caliber of Matt Shaw from MLB at bats we riot at the corner of Clark and Addison like Woodstock 99.

Also, as I’m writing this, Matt Shaw hit a bases clearing triple to put Team USA up 11-1 in a win or go home game and I’m just going to say, whether he gets the second base gig while Nico is out or not, you’re gonna go far, kid: