So far, so good for the 2023 Chicago Cubs draft class, as a trio of hitters rank in the top-10 of all drafted players in OPS to begin their minor league careers.
Matt Shaw is the headliner, but the first round pick might not even be the biggest steal for the Cubs in this year’s draft, as ninth rounder Jonathon Long and 18th rounder Brian Kalmer are all destroying the ball down at A-Ball.
Matt Shaw
The right-handed hitting shortstop skipped Low A-Ball and was assigned to the South Bend Cubs at Advanced A-Ball in the Midwest League. Shaw, 21, won the Big Ten Player of the Year award at Maryland before the Cubs selected him with the 13th overall pick in the draft and he hasn’t missed a beat at the plate.
In 23 games, Shaw is slashing .402/.450/.685, a 1.135 OPS, with 5 home runs, 5 doubles, 3 triples, 19 RBI, 17 runs scored, adding 9 stolen bases. He’s also walked seven times and only struck out 13 times in 100 plate appearances.
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Shaw has reached safely in 21 of his first 23 games in pro ball and he’s recorded 11 multi-games with South Bend. This past week, Shaw went 10-for-21, with a pair of home runs, a double and a triple while driving in eight runs and scoring six.
Following his 3-hit, 2-homer game on Friday, Shaw collected three more hits on Saturday.
I think it’s safe to say that Shaw will be playing at Double-A very soon.
Jonathon Long
The Cubs picked Jonathon Long out of Long Beach State in the ninth round and the first baseman is crushing the ball with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans.
Long, 21, blasted a three run home run on Sunday in Myrtle Beach, his fifth to start his minor league career.
In 16 games, Long has a slash line of .314/.444/.647, a 1.092 OPS, with 9 walks, 11 strikeouts, while crushing 5 home runs and a couple of doubles in 63 plate appearances. The right-handed hitter has a six-game hit streak and Long has reached base at least once in 15 of the 16 games he’s played in.
Brian Kalmer
Fans down in Myrtle Beach are certainly enjoying this 1-2 punch, as the 18th round pick out of Gonzaga Brian Kalmer already has 7 home runs playing with the Pelicans. The 23-year-old third baseman has recorded a slash line of .352/.422/.659, a 1.081 OPS, 7 home runs, 4 doubles and a triple in 103 plate appearances.
Kalmer does have more swing and miss in his game, striking out 25 times compared to 11 walks, but the power looks legit.
You would think that once the Cubs promote Shaw up to Double-A, that either Long or Kalmer will then make the jump up to South Bend.
