Michael Conforto's early struggles raise questions. Should the Cubs prioritize Matt Shaw's development over the veteran's disappointing start?
The Chicago Cubs were consistently looking for ways to upgrade their bench ahead of the 2026 season.
They signed both Chas McCormick and Dylan Carlson to Minor League deals in January and claimed Justin Dean off waivers from the Giants during that same month. Then, the team added Michael Conforto via a Minor League deal in late February.
Despite the late signing, Conforto made the Cubs’ Opening Day roster. The injuries to both Seiya Suzuki and Tyler Austin opened up a roster spot for the former All-Star, and the veteran has operated as the team’s No. 3 outfielder early in the year.
But after just four games into the new season, it might be time to end the Conforto experiment already.
Conforto has started each of the past two games for the North Siders and has looked a bit lost at the plate. The 33-year-old is 0-for-5 with one walk and four strikeouts to begin his Cubs tenure.
Things haven’t been pretty for Conforto early in the year. He has a 64.3% whiff rate, a 66.7% strikeout rate, a 30.8% chase rate, and a 7.7% squared-up rate in his limited plate appearances. The outfielder just hasn’t had competitive at-bats so far.
After hitting .199 with 12 home runs and 36 RBI across 138 games for the Dodgers last year, it’s clear that the best might be behind the 11-year veteran. Conforto finished with a 24.9% whiff rate, a 21% squared-up rate, and a .233 expected batting average in 2025.
Given how poorly Conforto has looked offensively in the early going, the Cubs shouldn’t continue to start him in right field. He isn’t providing much at the plate, and his outfield defense has been subpar in recent years.
Instead, those outfield opportunities should be going to Matt Shaw.
Shaw is a massive part of the Cubs’ future. He is just 24 years old and needs consistent at-bats to continue developing his offensive game. The utility specialist also just looks more comfortable at the plate right now than Conforto.
While there will be growing pains with Shaw in the outfield, it’s imperative that he gets those reps early in the year. The Cubs should be doing all they can to give him as many outfield opportunities right now with Suzuki still sidelined with that knee injury.
The Cubs should be prioritizing Shaw’s development over Conforto’s experience to begin the year. Conforto hasn’t shown anything to prove that he should be getting everyday starts in the outfield, and Shaw just brings more offense to Chicago’s lineup.
The Conforto experiment is not off to a great start.