Craig Counsell confirms Seiya Suzuki's role heading into the 2026 season

Just over one year ago, at the 2025 Cubs Convention, Craig Counsell declared that Seiya Suzuki would be their primary designated hitter. At the time, it wasn't necessarily shocking. Suzuki's defense left a lot to be desired in his first three years with the Chicago Cubs, and the trade for Kyle Tucker from the Astros made the prospect of playing the Japanese slugger in right field seem all the more unappealing. Still, it was notable nonetheless, especially since he had won the equivalent of a Gold Glove in Japan, and his agent, Joel Wolfe, noted that he likely wouldn't have signed in the Windy City had he known he wasn't going to be in the field.

Cut to the start of Spring Training this year, however, and the situation has changed. Tucker, as expected, left for Los Angeles, and top outfield prospect Owen Caissie was sent to the Miami Marlins in a trade to bolster the rotation with Edward Cabrera. The role of DH is Moises Ballesteros's to lose, too. All signs have indicated a return to the field for Suzuki, barring something altogether unexpected.

On Friday, Counsell finally set it in stone for reporters. He confirmed that, indeed, Suzuki's time as designated hitter was less a permanent movie because of his defense and more to make the most of the roster Jed Hoyer constructed with Tucker. "We're gonna see him in right field a lot, and I'm looking forward to it," he said. Moreover, nothing that Suzuki showed in the field has concerned him that deeply in the time he's been with the Cubs.

Counsell's lack of trepidation reflects the reality of Suzuki's defensive abilities. While many remember the ugly errors, the right fielder has graded out more in the middle of the pack. He's underwater with -4 defensive runs saved and -6 outs above average, but Ultimate Zone Rating, which puts a run value to a player's overall performance in all aspects of defense, has him at 3.2 for his 2,949 career innings in right. In fact, using that metric, he ranks twelfth among all players who've logged at least 1,000 innings at the position since 2022, when Suzuki entered the league.

Even by DRS and OAA, he's only tied for 23rd with Taylor Ward in the former and in a three-way tie for 21st for the latter. That's closer to the back of the pack, but still not horrible, and in company with other regular outfielders. His well-above-average arm strength makes up for at least some of that, too. It also doesn't hurt to have one of baseball's best defenders, Pete Crow-Armstrong, patrolling in center field and helping to cover some extra ground, a luxury Suzuki didn't enjoy to the same degree in previous seasons.

Suzuki's value with the Cubs will continue to come from the bat

Again, though, nobody will care if the defense is a little below average if Suzuki continues to hit. He remains among the biggest power threats on the Cubs, hitting a career-high 32 last year while slashing .245/.326/.478 with a 123 wRC+. It wasn't his best season overall, but it's possible he could be the type of player who finds more success when in the constant routine of playing the field. For his career, he owns a .253/.340/.435 slash line as a DH compared to 278/.350/.487 when he's also out in right.

Suzuki likely won't be spending every day in right field, though. The Cubs roster is built to be flexible and get players off their feet at Counsell's discretion. On days when Ballesteros isn't playing, Suzuki can always slide back into the DH slot while Kevin Alcantara, Chas McCormick, or whichever minor league outfield signing breaks camp with the team mans the corner. He could also slide over to left when Ian Happ needs a day off. There's also been plenty of buzz about Matt Shaw taking reps in the outfield, though it remains to be seen how much that will actually manifest in games throughout the season. Any other moves, save for more minor league depth, are unlikely to shake up the current setup.