Cubs have a Dansby Swanson problem that's only going to get worse

The Chicago Cubs have a Dansby Swanson problem. While the shortstop can still run the bases well and even compete for Gold Glove Awards on defense, his production at the plate is becoming a liability. The former first-round pick just turned in one of his worst offensive seasons in years, marking an ugly halfway point for his hefty seven-year, $177 million contract.

That's a lot of money to be paying a guy who was a below-average hitter according to FanGraphs. Swanson's 93 wRC+ in 2026 was the worst mark from Swanson since the 2019 season (91) and his worst as a Cub. Swanson also had below-average marks in hard-hit rate (40.6%), Barrel percentage (7.3%), and average exit velocity (89.2 mph). The shortstop also saw career lows in batting average (.213) and on-base percentage (.297).

I'm not blaming all of the Cubs' offensive woes on Swanson, but these numbers are concerning since Swanson is heading into his age-33 season. Hitters typically decline as they get further into their 30s, but Swanson's 2026 drop-off was fairly significant. The team is paying him an average of $27 million to be their everyday shortstop for the next three seasons, but it's going to be hard to start him if his bat continues to trend down.

Cubs are heading toward an uncomfortable Dansby Swanson reality they can't avoid much longer

When a top-paid player like Swanson regresses, it puts extra pressure on the rest of the lineup to carry the load. Craig Counsell already relegated Swanson to the bottom third of the lineup for the majority of the season, and the team is set to lose two other mainstays to free agency.

Although I can live with Ian Happ departing, since he's been having offensive woes of his own for a while, the team doesn't sound too keen on bringing back Seiya Suzuki. Which, coupled with Swanson's regression, doesn't bode well for the sustainability of the team's elite run production.

The Cubs can alleviate some of this pressure with free agents, but all signs point to the front office proritizing pitching. Hopefully Swanson can at least return to somewhat average bat production in 2027.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow