Matt Shaw has been a top player at every level of baseball he's played, and he can now add international competition to the list.
The Worcester Academy alumnus has dominated while playing for Team USA in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier12 in Tepic, Mexico, leading the entire 12-nation tournament in OPS (2.056), RBI (9), batting average (.727), home runs (2), hits (8), and stolen bases (2). Team USA has started 1-2 and will play Panama in Group Play on Tuesday night.
Shaw, a native of Brimfield, Mass., who played travel ball with Nokona, ranks as the No. 22 prospect in baseball and the top prospect in the Chicago Cubs farm system, per MLB Pipeline. He was drafted 13th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft by the Cubs. He finished the 2024 season with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, but spent enough time with Double-A Tennessee to earn Southern League MVP honors.
Shaw made history in Team USA's 12-2 win over the Netherlands on Sunday, going 4-for-5 with seven RBIs, including a walk-off home run. He became one of only two players in Team USA history to collect seven RBIs in a game, with the other being Ken Griffey Jr.
