Dansby Swanson shows this is his Cubs team with his latest actions

Dansby Swanson was hot out of the gates, but has gone ice-cold at the plate in recent weeks, batting just .184/.216/.265 over the last 15 days. With a key contributor sidelined in Seiya Suzuki, there's no doubt the Chicago Cubs need more from their star shortstop offensively.

But even while he works through his issues at the plate, Swanson continues to do what he's done dating back to his days as a standout at Vanderbilt: lead. After Adbert Alzolay blew his fourth save of the season on Saturday afternoon, he received a phone call that night - and it was Swanson on the other end of the line.

““We have such a great group of guys here,” Alzolay told Marquee Sports Network on Sunday. “‘Coach’ Dansby Swanson called me last night and we had a really good chat. Those are the kinds of conversations you want to have in those moments ... Being able to have a guy like Dansby calling me like, ‘let’s talk about it. I just want to know what’s going on. I know something’s off, so just tell me what you’re feeling. Let me help you somehow.'”

Dansby Swanson continues to set the tone for the Chicago Cubs

It says a lot about Swanson that he reached out to Alzolay in and of itself. But, again, as has been the case as long as anyone can remember, it's not a big deal to Swanson himself: it's how he always conducts himself - and it's a big reason why the Cubs zeroed in on him in a loaded free agent shortstop class following the 2022 season.

Sure, they liked how he projected to age and they avoided doling out a 10-year, $200+ million deal in the process. But Dansby as a person, intrigued the front office a lot. And Saturday's phone call to Alzolay is just the latest example of him 'walking the walk' on a daily basis.

“It feels like the right thing to do to be there for other people and they’re there for you," Swanson said of making the call.

The Cubs got a good one in Swanson and, again, there's just something special about a guy who doesn't withdraw into himself when he's going through some personal struggles. That makes a difference over the course of 162 games and all the ups and downs that come with it and, hopefully, will pay dividends with a group that comes together and plays meaningful baseball in October for years to come.