Matt Shaw was optioned to Triple-A Iowa on April 15, with the Cubs’ record standing at 11-8 and his batting average sitting at a paltry .172. 

It was a disappointing start to the Cubs’ 2023 first-round pick’s tenure in Chicago, but it was clear a move needed to be made.

“I don’t look at this as a negative. It’s almost part of the process. I’m sure he learned a lot,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said on April 15. “This league is unrelenting. And I think, at times, you just need to take a step back before you can take a step forward.”

Shaw took time in Iowa to retool his swing, and the results have paid dividends, as the third baseman is hitting .319 with six doubles and .819 OPS entering Wednesday’s game against the Nationals. 

“My biggest takeaway is that this time around it feels very different,” Shaw told Marquee Sports Network’s Taylor McGregor before Wednesday night’s game in D.C. “Last time, there was so much I had to learn, but there is still a lot to learn but I just feel a lot more comfortable.” 

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Shaw’s return to the Cubs has helped power them to a 38-23 record, tied for best in the National League, and the North Siders are 10-4 since Shaw was recalled on May 19. 

Cubs left fielder Ian Happ said on his podcast, “The Compound“, “The best version of the Chicago Cubs is (with) Matty Shaw at third base.”

Time will tell if Shaw can continue his offensive production at the plate. It’s clear from his first few weeks back in the big leagues since being sent down, the version of Shaw who walked into the Cubs clubhouse on May 19 was a very different one than the one optioned to Iowa just over a month earlier.

The difference?

Comfort.

“I have a very different perspective this time around, which is nice,” Shaw said. “It just feels like baseball, which is good.”