Despite hitting a speed bump early in camp with a minor oblique injury, the top prospect Shaw remains on the fast track to be the Cubs’ opening-day starting third baseman.

His chances of winning the job dramatically improved when the Alex Bregman deal fell through.

“Oh my gosh, yeah, I mean obviously, that’s my goal for this spring.  So being able to do that would be amazing, would be a dream come true — something I’ve been dreaming of for a long time,” Shaw said. “Having, you know, front office, coaching staff, players kind of believe in me and believe that I can help this team win a division and move forward with that would be amazing.”

The 2023 first-round pick has a small sample size on the hot corner after switching from shortstop to third last year in the minors. Shaw has several vets to lean on, but they don’t to get in his head too much.

“I’ve overcoached in my life, or I’ve overhelped, and I think I’m going to try more of the under-help this time,” said Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson. “He’s such a gifted player and he’s a natural-born baseball player, and he knows that I’m available for him with whatever he would need — whether it’s questions, advice, or, you know, an ear that will listen.”

Shaw said Friday that he appreciates Swanson’s relatively laissez-faire approach.

“I think something that I definitely respect about Dans and kind of that hands off approach is that he’s kind of letting me come to him with all of the questions I have, which I’m sure I’ll have a lot,” said Shaw.

“You know, I think it’s a reps thing, it’s just reps,” Cubs Manager Craig Counsell said of Shaw, “and we’ll just kind of keep getting him reps, and he’ll keep getting better.”

With a long spring and season ahead, the Cubs are taking things slow with Shaw after he tweaked his left oblique in the batting cage.

He is expected to resume hitting and throwing on Monday, so he might not be out there right away when Cactus League play begins later in the week.

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• Chicago Cubs
• Spring Training