The Chicago Cubs have no questions at shortstop. Their guy, barring any sort of unforeseen injury, is Dansby Swanson. They knew this was going to be the case when they signed him to a 7-year, $177 million deal prior to the 2023 season.
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And Swanson has been remarkably consistent as a Cub, even while dealing with injuries and general big league wear and tear. While defensively stellar, the veteran has been a league-average hitter in his 3-year Chicago run at right around the .240 mark. Last season, his power numbers were up a bit as he hit 24 home runs.
But, all in all, the 32-year-old has not been happy with his offensive production with the Cubs. That’s why he set about doing something different this offseason.
A new, natural approach to hitting
May 18, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (7) gets a hit against the Chicago White Sox during the fifth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
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Rather than focusing and fixating on perceived mechanical flaws in his approach at the plate, Swanson has taken a more go-with-the-flow offseason hitting strategy, focusing on movement and athleticism rather than hyper-focused drills.
The logic is sound. On defense, he moves with grace and fluidity, improvising on the fly and relying on his agility and instincts to get the job done. He’s aiming to apply that same mindset to his hitting.
“He doesn’t think about any mechanics on defense,” Cubs hitting coach Dustin Kelly told the Chicago Sun-Times. “It’s just a natural rhythm and flow. So we’re trying to bring some of that into his cage work.
So far, the approach has paid off. In limited spring training work, Swanson has an OPS of 1.600. On Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, he pulled a single to left and then hit an opposite field home run to right.
It’s still far too early to judge his offseason switch-up a real success, but there’s nothing but good feelings about it right now.
“I just hit”
Apr 23, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (7) singles during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
“That’s kind of the point that I’d gotten to, was, ‘You know what, I don’t really need a drill anymore,’ ” Swanson told the Sun-Times. “I need to get back to moving naturally, being a good athlete. The seesaw had gone too far in one direction, and it needed to reverse course a little bit.”
“I just hit,” he would add. “As silly as that sounds, I just hit.”
“We get into ruts in how we practice,” manager Craig Counsell commented. “And I think what Dansby’s saying is, he got into a little rut of how he was practicing his hitting and took some ownership of it and wanted to change from it. And I think it’s a positive change.”
The 2026 Cubs need Swanson to be his usual reliable self– with Gold Glove-level defense and streaks of power and offensive production– but would be ecstatic if he could give even more with the bat on a consistent basis. The team is under pressure to make a deep playoff run this year and Swanson’s leadership by example would help them get over several humps.
Beyond 2026, too, Swanson will be an important piece of the puzzle as one of the few players guaranteed to stay on the team after several core elements become free agency-eligible at the end of the season.
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