Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers ’17 — #21 Travis Shaw
Three weeks!
On this Monday in Milwaukee we Brewers fans were rudely reminded that Punxsutawney Phil predicated more six more weeks of winter…five and a half weeks ago.
Brutal.
But we solider on, emboldened by the fact that Opening Day at Miller Park is just 21 short days away. Jeremy Jeffress wore #21 for the last three years in Milwaukee and wore it well. He’s gone now and the number belongs to a new Brewers employee for this season…
Travis Shaw.
There are a couple of truths about Travis Shaw which he’d prefer us to forget. He’s the son of a former big leaguer (Travis wants to forge his own path) and he accepted a nickname that he doesn’t particularly care for to not run afoul of a Boston-based website with a national footprint.
So I’ll focus on two things instead.
First, Shaw’s history and then Shaw’s 2017 outlook.
Shaw was drafted twice by the Boston Red Sox before he would turn pro, having gone from a 32nd round choice to a 9th round pick following his time at Kent State. Ohio-born and raised, Shaw remains an avid fan of Ohio sports teams.
The left-handed hitting Shaw made his big league debut on May 8, 2015 for the Red Sox, another success story of their minor league system. Since then he’s slashed a .251/.312/.442 line in 778 career plate appearances. 2016 was worst statistically than his rookie year and Shaw is poised to recapture the success he found when first he broke into The Show.
The Brewers traded for Shaw as part of a package return for Tyler Thornburg in hopes that Shaw could indeed get back to posting an OPS north of .800 while manning third base. Shaw made 113 appearances at the hot corner as a Red Sox, including 105 of those in 2016. Shaw made 16 errors in 289 chances at third last year, but Brewers Manager Craig Counsell has said this spring that Shaw has shown him that he’s capable of being an everyday defender. Counsell should know, a versatile defender throughout his career, the Brewers skipper appeared in 385 games at that position.
Shaw can also handle first base and has even played a touch of left field should an emergency arise, but make no mistake about it. General Manager David Stearns brought Shaw to the Brewers to lock down third base for the next couple of seasons.
For 2017, Shaw will need to play capable defense and hit enough if he’s going to fulfill Stearns’ plan. Shaw has demonstrated ability to do both of those things, so it’s just a matter of him executing. What Brewers fans have to remember are examples of plenty of players who needed patience before blossoming. Look at just last year, for instance. Aaron Hill started out as the primary third baseman and was horrible at the plate. Hill trusted the process and ended up good enough to be traded at the deadline (coincidentally to Boston) for better assets. Keon Broxton needed to go down to Colorado Springs more than once before the mechanical adjustments which seemingly unlocked his potential finally took hold.
Hopefully Shaw gets out to a roaring start and slugs .500+ in April, but if he doesn’t we must exercise patience. Shaw was expendable in Boston in part because the high-priced Pablo Sandoval has recovered from a shoulder injury. This is a Major League caliber player and hopefully he only needs a consistent opportunity to thrive.
The soon-to-be 27-year-old is just coming into his physical prime and will be given plenty of opportunity this year. He just needs to seize it.
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Follow Travis on Twitter: @travis_shaw21
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Looking to catch up on this season’s BBtJN? Just click on a name below:
#59 Carlos Torres
#57 Chase Anderson
#56 Ryan Webb
#54 Michael Blazek
#53 Jhan Mariñez
#52 Jimmy Nelson
#51 Damien Magnifico
#50 Jacob Barnes
#47 Jett Bandy
#46 Corey Knebel
#45 Tyler Cravy
#41 Junior Guerra
#38 Wily Peralta
#37 Neftalí Feliz
#35 Brent Suter
#33 Tommy Milone
#29 Yadiel Rivera
#28 Jorge Lopez
#27 Zach Davies
#26 Taylor Jungmann
#25 Michael Reed
#24 Jesús Aguilar
#23 Keon Broxton
#22 Matt Garza
