Former Cape Cod MVP Matt Shaw Selected in First Round of MLB Draft

By Mojo Hill

University of Maryland shortstop Matt Shaw, who won the Pat Sorenti MVP Award in 2022 while on the Bourne Braves, was picked in the first round of the MLB Draft Sunday evening. The Chicago Cubs took him with the 13th overall pick. The slot has an approximate value of $4.85m.

Shaw had a monster season for the Braves and was a big reason why they won the championship last summer. In 36 games, he hit .360/.432/.574 while playing mostly second base and shortstop, along with two games at third base. It was coming off a year where he posted a .986 OPS for Maryland.

“I’m excited for him,” Braves manager Scott Landers said. “He’s a gamer. He’s a top-20 pick. I’m happy because he’s worked his butt off to get to that point. And he deserves everything he gets.”

After tearing up the Cape, Shaw went back to Maryland for another year and elevated his game to an even higher level. He hit a whopping .341/.445/.697, giving him an 1.142 OPS. He walked more times than he struck out — 43 to 42 — and hit 24 homers. He finished his three seasons at Maryland with a 1.036 OPS and 53 homers in 167 games.

Going into the day, Shaw was ranked as the No. 16 prospect in the draft by MLB Pipeline. His scouting report described him as one of the best hitters in this year’s class, citing his Cape Cod MVP as a key asset that boosted his stock.

Shaw joins a long line of Cape League alumni to take their talents to the professional level. More than 1,600 former CCBL players have made it to the majors, and Shaw has a pretty good chance to join that group after his first-round selection.