{"id":167090,"date":"2026-03-20T23:04:31","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T23:04:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=167090"},"modified":"2026-03-20T23:04:31","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T23:04:31","slug":"%f0%9f%9a%a8breaking-news-sb-nation-reacts-matt-shaw-should-be-in-right-field-if-seiya-suzuki-cant-go-on-opening-day-with-uncertainty-surrounding-suzukis-availability-fans-and","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=167090","title":{"rendered":"\ud83d\udea8BREAKING NEWS: SB NATION REACTS \u2013 MATT SHAW SHOULD BE IN RIGHT FIELD IF SEIYA SUZUKI CAN\u2019T GO ON OPENING DAY! With uncertainty surrounding Suzuki’s availability, fans and analysts are rallying behind Shaw as the perfect replacement for the season opener. Could this be Shaw’s moment to shine in the spotlight?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cubs fans and fans across the country.\u00a0Sign up here\u00a0to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.<\/em><\/p>\n

Earlier this week I asked you in the SB Nation Reacts survey who should be in right field for the Cubs if Seiya Suzuki is not ready for Opening Day.<\/p>\n

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Also earlier this week, Cubs manager Craig Counsell stated that Matt Shaw would be his choice to be in that position.<\/p>\n

And the majority of you agreed with Counsell:<\/p>\n

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Honestly, I don\u2019t think I agree with this choice. Shaw has looked\u2026 well, adequate at best in right field. He\u2019s made a couple of misplays and the eye test says he doesn\u2019t really have the arm for right field. Personally? If it were up to me, I\u2019d put Dylan Carlson out there. He\u2019s at least played the position before and he\u2019s a switch-hitter. Carlson has also had a good spring and is almost certainly going to make the team.<\/p>\n

When the update on Suzuki\u2019s injury was made on Tuesday and the Cubs got the good news that it was \u201cminor,\u201d Counsell said he\u2019d wait until Saturday to make a decision about whether Suzuki would open the year on the injured list. So, as always, we await developments.<\/p>\n

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There were three questions asked of all SB Nation Reacts survey members this week, all having to do with the World Baseball Classic and international baseball in general.<\/p>\n

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All of the first three answers were good things about the WBC. Certainly, high-intensity baseball, the choice of the plurality, was a good thing. But I liked the player energy and celebrations and that was my choice. That\u2019s the sort of thing we don\u2019t often see in MLB, and I really liked seeing players from countries like Venezuela, the Dominican Republic and others really seem to be having fun. Even the Italian-Americans representing Italy made the WBC a happy place with their espresso machine celebration. Speaking of which\u2026<\/p>\n

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Can\u2019t disagree with that one.<\/p>\n

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I voted for \u201cit should happen more often.\u201d I really enjoy these events, as well as MLB teams playing overseas. Having gone to both the London Series and Tokyo Series games in which the Cubs were involved, I can tell you that even in the UK, not a baseball hotbed, people seemed into the event. And Japanese folks were just overjoyed to have the Tokyo Series.<\/p>\n

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I am not sure when the next WBC will be held \u2014 I have read both 2029 and 2030. The date will likely be part of the next CBA negotiation. Again, as always, we await developments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cubs fans and fans across the… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":167091,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-167090","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n\ud83d\udea8BREAKING NEWS: SB NATION REACTS \u2013 MATT SHAW SHOULD BE IN RIGHT FIELD IF SEIYA SUZUKI CAN\u2019T GO ON OPENING DAY! With uncertainty surrounding Suzuki's availability, fans and analysts are rallying behind Shaw as the perfect replacement for the season opener. 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