Following a 2-4 record in their six-game stretch last week, the Chicago Cubs got a much needed victory at home on Monday to begin their series with the Miami Marlins. The team split their games last week at Wrigley and on the road, as they dropped sets with the Mets and Giants. Last week included a blown game by the bullpen and two separate lackluster performances at the dish.
Even though the occasion down games at the plate are disappointing from the group, they can’t be expected to score five or more runs every single games this season. Chicago has had one of the best offenses in all of baseball, but they can’t bail out the pitching staff everyday and the front office should recognize that. While the bullpen is getting figured out, most of the veterans in the lineup have stepped up continuously.
One of the bats in Chicago’s order that struggled toward the beginning of the season has been hitting his stride at the plate in the last couple of weeks. He homered again on Monday and has left the yard nine times this season.
Dansby Swanson continues to swing the bat well
Dansby Swanson was moved down in the order before the Cubs’ series two weeks ago at PNC Park against the Pirates. He had been hitting fifth in the lineup for most of the season before his demotion, and he took it to heart. Swanson homered in the series opener and finale in that Pirates series and came through with a three-hit game in the second contest of the set.
Swanson is hitting .382 over his last ten games and has a pair of multi-hit games over the his last three contests. Following his two-hit game that included a two-run homer on Monday night, manager Craig Counsell was very complementary of what the veteran shortstop has done at the dish as of late.
“He’s swinging at the right pitches,” Counsell said. “He’s hitting mistakes really hard, just gotta keep it going.”
"He's swinging at the right pitches. He's hitting mistakes really hard, just gotta keep it going."
Dansby Swanson is hitting .382 over his last 10 games 😏 pic.twitter.com/nziYq4hVjX
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) May 13, 2025
The Chicago Cubs need Dansby Swanson to settle into this role nicely
Despite being paid like the best player of the club, Swanson is a much better piece to the puzzle when he doesn’t have to be “the guy” at all times. His leadership and Gold Glove defense is vital to this team’s success, but when the pressure is off him to be batting toward the top of the order, he thrives. He is the perfect guy to slot in the seven or eight spot moving forward, and he clearly is seeing the right pitches from opposing staffs in these positions.
Swanson is slashing .248/.303./.472 with a .775 OPS in 42 games this season. His average being near .250 at the moment is extremely impressive given that he was hitting below .185 at one point in his slump last month. The 31-year-old is on pace to crush his home run total from a season ago (16) with his nine long balls so far in 2025.
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