Sam Shaw was selected by the Blue Jays in the ninth round of the MLB draft in 2023. That year, as an 18-year-old, he would get into nine games in the FCL. He would only hit .207, but had an OBP of .425. This foreshadowed the type of hitter he would be: one who excels with high on-base rates and low strikeout rates, and whose hit tool is developing. In 2024, he repeated the FCL and managed to have a .361 OBP, despite only hitting .220. His plate discipline was superb, as he struck out just 10% of the time and walked at a 16.7% rate. He wasn't displaying much power though, only hitting two home runs on the season. In 2025, it appears the hit tool is coming around, even though he has moved on up to Single-A Dunedin. There, he has hit .266/.412/.441 with seven home runs, eight doubles, and a triple. He has similar strikeout and walk rates, at 18.6% and 19.5%, respectively. He has a 147 wRC+ on the season and is pushing towards a promotion to High-A Vancouver. 

Shaw isn't the biggest player, standing just 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, but he uses very good swing decisions paired with above-average launch angles to hit the ball in the air. He has the profile to be a Sean Keys, Alan Roden, and Spencer Horwitz type of hitter down the line. As mentioned, expect him to move up to High-A Vancouver in the near future, where he will look to continue to develop power, add better exit velocities to his game and work his way up the minor league ladder.