Dansby Swanson’s second-half turnaround is finally getting well-deserved attention

As the Cubs fell to a season-high nine games under .500 on July 3, the finger-pointing was endless. But perhaps no single player drew more criticism than Dansby Swanson who, in the second year of his $177 million deal, carried a .211/.285/.353 slash line into action that day.

There was a crazy amount of comps being made between Swanson and Jason Heyward and how he failed to live up to his contract with the Cubs, with more than a few fans bracing themselves for another anchor tied to the payroll long-term. But since early July, Swanson has looked like an entirely different player - one much more in line with what we've seen in recent years.

In just under 200 trips to the plate since July 7, the former Gold Glover and All-Star is slashing .299/.364/.469 - capped by a 10-for-18 stretch to open the month of September. In Wednesday's 12-0 shutout, no-hit victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates, Swanson notched three hits, drove in three runs and fell just a triple shy of the cycle.

Swanson was slow out of the gates, hitting just .234 in April before completely bottoming out in May, batting .155 with a .476 OPS. It's no coincidence that the Cubs went 10-18 that month, their worst showing in any single month this season. But in the second half, he's picked up steam - and he's hit his peak at the perfect time to close out the year.

A strong finish will put him right in line with what he did in 2023, his first season in Chicago. Even now, rating just slightly below-average at the plate, his defense has buoyed him significantly, evidenced by a 3.4 fWAR that ranks second on the team behind only Ian Happ (3.5). It's been a dramatic turnaround for Swanson - and one that should help the fanbase breathe a collective sigh of relief, especially when looking back at how his season started.