Shaw made his MLB debut in Tokyo against the Dodgers this year on March 18, materializing his dream after proving himself for three seasons in the minor leagues. However, his transition to MLB didn't go as anticipated.
Playing in 18 of the Cubs' first 19 games as the team's third baseman, Shaw batted just 10-for-58 (.172) with 10 runs and three RBIs. He was subsequently sent back down to the minors on April 14, nearly a month after making his debut.
Shaw played in 24 games for Chicago's Triple-A affiliate, the Iowa Cubs, before being recalled to the majors on May 19. He has since started the Cubs' last 15 games and drastically improved his numbers.
The 5-foot-10, 185-pounder is hitting 18-for-55 (.327) with nine runs, four RBIs and seven stolen bases since being recalled. He also recorded back-to-back multi-hit games in his first two games back and even helped the Cubs to a walk-off win over the Rockies with a single in the 11th inning on May 27.
"I learned a lot from that first stint in the big leagues," Shaw said. "It gave me some perspective on who I wanted to be and what I was looking forward to at that level. Going back down to Triple-A and getting back on track, getting back to being myself, was helpful. … I needed a little bit of a break, and I also needed to make some adjustments to get back on track."