Dansby Swanson had been dealing with a rough start to the season, and many fans had become frustrated with him. The common ideas trending across social media were to bench him and try out some of the younger stars, like Pedro Ramírez. The pressure on the coaching staff made some fans think that a move could be on the way. However, recently, he has caught fire and has looked like the best version of himself. His numbers are still far from elite, but they have skyrocketed after the recent June stretch.
Dansby Swanson just 6 games ago vs. today:
7 HR ➡️ 11 HR
28 RBI ➡️ 46 RBI
6 SB ➡️ 10 SB
.306 SLG ➡️ .385 SLG
.587 OPS ➡️ .688 OPS
68 wRC+ ➡️ 93 wRC+
1.1 fWAR ➡️ 2.1 fWARAn unreal heater from Dansby 🔥 pic.twitter.com/UciqhQeB3F
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) June 25, 2026
The Story of Swanson’s Season
First Half Slump
On the season, Swanson’s numbers do not jump off the page. He has a .199 batting average, 11 home runs, and 10 stolen bases. However, he does have 46 RBI, which leads the team. A majority of the season had been the same story, with a batting average below .200 and low power numbers. Besides his defense, it had felt like nothing was going right in the season. His poor performance had dropped him to hitting ninth in the lineup. The defense was the one thing keeping him in the lineup, and now that he seems to be heating up, the decision seems to be paying off.
Jed Hoyer was asked if the team is considering a change at shortstop as Dansby Swanson is hitting .176. Hoyer stated that the “backbone” of the team is run prevention: “To answer the question directly, we can’t run away from our run prevention when we struggle offensively.”
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) June 16, 2026
June Hot Stretch
June has seen Swanson producing at a much higher level than the rest of the season. However, the last two weeks have been blisteringly hot. In that time frame, he is hitting .310 with four home runs. He also has 11 runs and 18 RBI. The slow but consistent growth during the first half of June was a much-needed sight, as he seemed to be turning into the more productive version of himself that fans are used to. In the past week, the numbers are even better, with a .435 batting average, three home runs, three stolen bases, and 16 RBI. Much of this is fueled by the recent Mets series.
The opener against the Mets on June 23rd saw him go 2/3 with a home run and four RBI. Then, his performance in the doubleheader is what really grabbed everyone’s attention. Across the two games, he hit .556 with three runs, two home runs, and 11 RBI. This type of showcase is not something to expect all the time, but it is still a very promising sign.
Today the @Cubs‘ Dansby Swanson:
hit a grand slam
hit a 3-run HR
hit a triple
stole a base
drove in 10+ runsSince RBI became official in 1920, no other MLB player has accomplished more than 3 of those 5 feats on the same day. pic.twitter.com/1LqUAJX85S
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) June 25, 2026
Impact of Swanson’s Turnaround
As long as Swanson can find a way to perform at even half the level that he has recently, then it goes a long way in helping the Cubs’ offense if they wish to win the division. The offense has been heavily inconsistent this season, which has been one of the major reasons for Chicago’s shaky season. Many of the other stars have begun to pick things up a little bit, as Pete Crow-Armstrong has been returning to his elite level of play. With the recent pitching injuries, the offense needs to find a way to step up and carry the team.
If Chicago wishes to catch up to the Milwaukee Brewers, it needs to find a way for its offensive stars to step up and become more consistent. Swanson’s recent June stretch is a prime example of how quickly this can happen. If the star shortstop can keep up this hot stretch, then he will be able to help stabilize the bottom of the batting order. Sometimes all a player needs is one swing to turn their season around. Hopefully, that will be the case for Swanson, as the Cubs are entering a pivotal series with Milwaukee if they wish to stay alive in the N.L. Central.
Main Photo Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
