Matt Shaw off to an impressive start at Premier12
Matt Shaw is off to a hot start at the WBSC Premier12 2024, presented by RAXUS. The US infielder posted impressive numbers in the first two games of the competition, going 7-for-8 with 7 RBIs - all of them in Sunday's game against the Netherlands, setting a Premier12 record for a single game.
His numbers in the Premier12 show seven hits in eight at-bats, with a home run, a double, and five singles. He's hitting .875 with a 1.375 slugging percentage and a .889 on-base percentage. He was hit by a pitch once and has collected two stolen bases. With those numbers, he's leading the tournament in batting average, RBIs, stolen bases, runs scored, hits, and on-base percentage; he's also second in slugging percentage.
According to data provided by Synergy, a WBSC partner, Shaw has seen 31 pitches in the tournament. He’s received 10 balls, taken a strike eight times, fouled five times, and put the ball in play eight times. Only once has he been called out, grounding into a double play in the first inning of yesterday's game against the Netherlands.
The US opponents have used three different pitches against him: fastballs (20), sliders (9), and curveballs (2). Of these 31 pitches, 20 were in the outside part of the zone, including 10 fastballs, a curveball, and all nine sliders.
Shaw, who celebrated his 23rd birthday six days ago, is aware of this pattern. "We were just looking for pitches outside. I mean, guys are working away, so we were looking for heaters away," the infielder said after the game against the Netherlands.
Interestingly, the 23-year-old infielder has swung 13 times (42% of the time) and has made contact each time. In other words, he hasn’t missed a pitch yet in the tournament. He's put the ball in play eight times, with four ground balls, three line drives, and one fly ball.
Born on 6 November 2001 in Springfield, Massachusetts, Shaw is a highly touted prospect in the Chicago Cubs organization. Selected in the first round of the 2023 Major League Draft, he posted a .284 batting average this past season at the AA and AAA levels, with 21 homers and 31 stolen bases in 121 games, collecting 71 RBIs.