Dansby Swanson's defense is the constant the Cubs can always rely on

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Swanson has two Gold Gloves to his name already, but the last two seasons, others have passed him by. However, Swanson’s glove is still elite. He proved that in the postseason as his defense was a key reason the Cubs moved past the San Diego Padres in the wild-card round. And he showed it yet again Saturday. Swanson had nine putouts on the day, two of the spectacular variety. In the sixth, he ranged up the middle and made a perfect spinning throw to first to get Gerardo Perdomo. In the ninth, he made sure no one got on base with Ben Brown working his second straight perfect inning of the day. Swanson made all three plays in the frame, including a sliding backhanded play to get Corbin Carroll. “Defense is another way to win games,” Swanson said. “I had a lot of opportunities out there today, might set a record for me or something like that (today). It’s a lot of fun.” Swanson wasn’t the only reason the Cubs won. Brown has been a multi-inning revelation out of the bullpen for the team and was once again Saturday. He showed off his full four-pitch mix — the development of his sinker and changeup has been huge for him this season — and didn’t allow a batter to reach in two innings of work. Brown came in after Shota Imanaga gave the team seven shutout frames, striking out five and walking only one while giving up just four singles. He seemed in total command of the game. And on a day when an offense that has been among the best in baseball for much of the season didn’t really show up, Ian Happ’s performance was enough for the team to get the win. His 3-for-3 day, with a homer, triple and double and two runs scored, was all the team would need. However, defense is the heartbeat of this team. Everyone on the field can flash the leather. It was what team president Jed Hoyer envisioned when he made Swanson the first big signing of a new generation of winning Cubs baseball in the winter before the 2023 season. Build a backbone of elite defense, and the rest will fall into place. The plan seems to be working. The Cubs won 92 games last season and are 21-12 to start their 2026 campaign. They have won 14 of their last 17 games and 10 straight at Wrigley Field. A lot is going right for them, and it all comes together with the glovework as a constant. “I’m always pitching out there knowing that if there’s a ball hit behind me, it’s going to be an out,” Imanaga said through an interpreter. “You look at the players we have, on top of the defense, they have great positioning as well. Every time I’m out there and they hit the ball, knowing that there’s a chance for it to be an out is very reassuring.” Swanson might not be as flashy as Crow-Armstrong, who leads all of baseball in Defensive Runs Saved, Fielding Run Value and Outs Above Average. He probably isn’t the fan favorite Nico Hoerner has become. Alex Bregman gets more headlines as the most recent big-time signing by the team. But Swanson is playing the most important defensive position on the field and seems to do everything right when he’s out there. “Seen Dansby do that a million times,” Brown said. “That doesn’t take away from how awesome it is. He’s been great out there ever since he started in the big leagues. It’s cool seeing him make those plays. Grateful to have him on our side.” Happ agreed it’s not odd to see Swanson flash the leather. “Seen so many of those plays from him over the years,” Happ said. “It never ceases to amaze me. That’s why he’s a multiple-time Gold Glove winner.” With Cade Horton down for the season and Justin Steele suffering a setback, this team will need more performances from Imanaga like the one he gave Saturday. Brown’s emergence in the bullpen is critical considering the number of injuries that group has already suffered. And Happ and the offense are likely going to be carrying this team at times. But it’s the defense that will always be there. It’s what this team was built on. And if they’re going to make the playoffs and get deep into October, it’s what they know they can always lean on no matter the situation. “We have the best defense in MLB for sure,” Imanaga said. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms