Dansby Swanson gives the Cubs an infield anchor

One signing changed both sides of second base

When Swanson joined Chicago for the 2023 season, Nico Hoerner moved from full-time shortstop to second base. Sports Info Solutions’ analysis of that first season describes the switch and identifies Swanson as its leading shortstop candidate for the Fielding Bible Award. This was a reorganization of the infield, with a proven shortstop working beside another player who had already handled that position.

The shortstop usually works between second and third; the second baseman handles the other side. Both participate in double plays, and the first baseman receives the throw that completes many ground-ball outs. The position map is useful because the phrase middle infield can otherwise sound like a vague compliment. It describes two neighboring jobs whose responsibilities meet at the same bag.

Imagine a grounder that requires a lateral move, a clean pickup and a throw across the diamond. Getting to the ball is only the first task. A catch that leaves the fielder awkwardly balanced, or a throw that forces the receiver to abandon the base, changes the outcome. The interesting unit is the completed play, not a photogenic moment in its middle.

That is why I find the word anchor more useful here than magician. A teammate needs a ball he can use. The first baseman needs a manageable throw. A strong defensive play makes the next player’s part possible; its elegance comes from those connections rather than from a flourish added at the end.

The flat glove makes the ordinary catch demanding

The living-room game grew into a deliberate routine. The Sun-Times’ 2023 account describes Swanson kneeling with a small glove, standing to use a pancake glove, then returning to his normal glove. Hand work comes first; movement joins it. The sequence makes the receiving part of the play worth examining on its own.

A pancake glove is a flat training aid with far less pocket than a game glove. Sports Illustrated’s 2017 report explained how Barry Larkin introduced Swanson to that tool and how coach Ron Washington and teammate Brandon Phillips reinforced its use in Atlanta. Washington’s point was precise: the smaller, shallower surface makes the player locate the ball with his hands instead of relying on the glove’s depth. That earlier reporting explains the mechanism.

Phillips even carried his flat glove tucked into his waistband for batting practice. It is a lovely little detail: the experienced player bringing the unforgiving practice tool back out when he could have put it away. The purpose was better preparation, not making training look impressive. A game glove becomes more forgiving after the hands have done the harder version of the work. The same report records Phillips’ habit.

He learned the neighboring job, too

There is another useful piece of Swanson’s background. At Vanderbilt he played second base during the 2014 championship season, then returned to shortstop in 2015. The university’s January 2015 interview calls shortstop his natural and favorite position. Its draft announcement that June records All-American seasons at both spots and his selection first overall by Arizona.

I would treat that history as context, not proof of what goes through his head during a particular play. Still, it changes the way the partnership can be understood. The shortstop has done the neighboring job himself. Second base was a serious assignment in a championship team, not a brief detour to fill an empty position.

In CubsHQ’s account of a February 2025 fielding demonstration, Swanson discussed firm, chest-high feeds and securing the first out before chasing the second. The demonstration summary gives the partnership a concrete language: height, firmness, timing. Chemistry has practical parts.

A clean out deserves attention even without a dive

A dramatic stop is easy to appreciate. A clean out can be harder to notice precisely because everything went smoothly. FanGraphs’ explanation of defensive measurement makes the central distinction: avoiding recorded errors is not the same as converting all the balls a fielder could reasonably reach. Range and the difficulty of opportunities belong in the assessment, too.

That also explains why a batting line cannot settle the whole discussion. FanGraphs describes Defensive Runs Saved as an estimate of defensive contribution relative to an average player at the position, expressed in runs. Offense and defense are different parts of a player’s work. Neither gets to erase the other merely because it is easier to fit on a familiar scoreboard.

We can recognize the success of the original Chicago arrangement without predicting the next season. Swanson and Hoerner both won 2023 Gold Gloves. The Cubs’ announcement confirms the awards. For the narrower questions, our companion pieces explain the scorekeeping language behind a double play and the different evidence used to evaluate fielding; the latter distinction matters whenever a statistic is treated as a verdict.

His childhood enthusiasm had a rewind button. Swanson told the Sun-Times that he repeatedly played a VHS called Superstar Shortstops, featuring Nomar Garciaparra, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. His grandfather hit him grounders after school. Those details give the professional preparation a pleasingly homespun beginning.

The next ordinary groundout offers a way to notice what that education produced. Follow the pickup, then the throw, then the receiving glove. If the whole exchange looks easy, give the middle of the play a second thought. Making the next person’s job easier is a satisfying kind of excellence.