Two-Time All-Star Shortstop Is Still Making a Strong Impact on the Cubs Roster in 2026
Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson is entering his 11th season in Major League Baseball. The 32-year-old spent seven seasons playing for the Atlanta Braves, highlighted by the team’s World Series victory in the 2021 season. Following his tenure with Atlanta, Swanson signed with the Chicago Cubs ahead of the 2023 season. Chicago gave the former first overall draft pick a seven-year contract worth $177 million, and halfway through his deal, he is still a premium piece of the Cubs’ lineup.
In the 2025 season, Swanson posted one of the strongest statistical campaigns of his career. In 159 games, he saw the plate 590 times and recorded 144 hits and 24 home runs while scoring 84 runs, all of which were in the top three of those categories of any season he’s played so far. The two-time all-star also recorded an impressive WAR of 4.5, which was the 10th highest among shortstops and 30th among all players in the MLB that season. Additionally, 2025 was when he recorded the most stolen bases in his career, with 20 bags. Swanson had several big moments in 2025, and while he is by no means an MVP favorite, he has proven himself to be an effective, lasting part of a major league lineup, no matter the circumstances.
The starting shortstop continues to show his value to the Chicago Cubs organization, not only in his on-field production, but through his veteran presence and leadership. At 32 years old, Swanson is one of the oldest players on the Cubs in 2026. He is also one of only players on the team to have previously played in a World Series, along with the newly acquired third baseman Alex Bregman, who won with the Houston Astros. The two-time all-star shortstop is among the most experienced players Chicago has, and on a roster with as many young, talented players as the Cubs do, a player like that holds a very valuable place in the dugout. It’s easy for Cubs fans to get swept up in the excitement of young stars like Pete Crow-Armstrong or Nico Hoerner, but Swanson is a just as valuable, if not somewhat underrated, asset for the team.
