Early in the current month, the Chicago Cubs opted to bench their two-time All-Star shortstop, Dansby Swanson, removing him from the primary roster to allow him an opportunity to pause and recalibrate his performance at the plate. Prior to this, over his preceding 11 appearances, his batting average was a dismal .139, having accumulated a strikeout count (13) that more than doubled his hit total (five) during that span.
Admittedly, this temporary removal from play was briefly paused when Swanson contributed the deciding run as the designated runner for the Cubs in the tenth inning of their June 6 victory against the San Francisco Giants. Nevertheless, this situation underscored a period where the 32-year-old’s hitting capabilities appeared to be diminishing throughout the season.
In his initial return to the starting lineup, Swanson hit a double. Just over a week later, specifically eight days subsequent, he truly commenced his return to peak performance, launching his inaugural home run since the middle of May. Throughout the current week’s matchups against the New York Mets, Swanson’s impressive recovery has become fully evident.
He has accumulated a total of 15 RBI over the initial three encounters of a four-game stretch at Citi Field. This marks the highest number of RBI registered by a Cubs athlete in any series comprising fewer than five contests since the RBI was officially recognized as a statistic in 1920. The Baseball Hall of Famer Kiki Cuyler achieved 15 RBI for the Cubs in 1932, but that achievement occurred within a five-game series. Across the entire history of MLB, this represents merely the 18th occasion — and only the third instance in the last four and a half decades — that an individual player has amassed a minimum of 15 RBI during a single series. Danny Espinosa accomplished this feat for the Washington Nationals in 2016, while Cody Ross achieved it with the then-Florida Marlins in 2008.
This information is corroborated by Sarah Langs of MLB.com, who additionally pointed out that Swanson is the inaugural player for the Cubs to register four or more RBI in three consecutive games, a consecutive achievement that matches the most prolonged streak by any MLB player throughout the period where RBI has been recorded.
Swanson primarily achieved this remarkable sequence of plays during a twin bill played on Wednesday in Queens, where he recorded five hits out of nine at-bats, including two home runs and generating 11 RBI.
He was instrumental in securing two wins for the Cubs (with a record of 43-37), the initial one being a dominant 10-3 triumph and the subsequent a slightly tighter 10-5 defeat of the Mets (whose record stands at 34-46), a team currently on a five-game losing streak and occupying the bottom position in the NL East. During Game 2 on Wednesday, the New York team made six errors in the infield. The previous Saturday, the Mets had already been subjected to another memorable hitting display versus the Philadelphia Phillies, as Kyle Schwarber hit three home runs and Bryce Harper completed a cycle in a comprehensive 15-3 victory.
During the first match of the doubleheader, Swanson launched both a grand slam and a three-run home run. In the second match, he delivered RBI singles in both the fourth and ninth innings, with his ninth-inning hit bringing in two runs, in addition to hitting a go-ahead RBI triple in the sixth inning.
Consequently, Swanson shares the distinction of having the third-highest RBI total (11) recorded in an MLB doubleheader, falling short by two RBI of the 13 achieved by Mark Whiten for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1993 and Nate Colbert for the San Diego Padres in 1972, as reported by Langs. Swanson’s 11 RBI also represent the maximum ever recorded by a Cubs player in a single doubleheader. Baseball Hall of Famer Ron Santo had accumulated 10 RBI for Chicago during a twin bill played on July 6, 1970, against the Montreal Expos.
On Tuesday — during Chicago’s 9-6 victory that initiated the series — Swanson also collected four RBI: one via a sacrifice fly, two from a home run, and one from a double. Sammy Sosa stands as the sole other Cubs player to achieve a minimum of 15 RBI across a three-game period, according to The Associated Press, although his 16 RBI from August 10 to 12, 2002, were not all amassed within a single series.
It’s worth noting that in a stretch of 24 games, from May 19 through June 16, Swanson managed to secure only a single RBI. In stark contrast, he has now generated 15 RBI in his most recent three appearances opposing the Mets. This dramatically highlights the extent of his previous difficulties and serves as profound evidence of the magnitude of his recent improvement. Abruptly, Swanson’s batting average has climbed back above .200, and he has now contributed 11 home runs and 46 RBI over 76 games played.
“This explains why the sport can, at times, be quite maddening,” commented Cubs manager Craig Counsell, as reported by the AP. “Because if one were to examine Dansby’s current season, it largely resembles a typical season for him. His batting average might be slightly lower than usual, but the majority of his other statistics are likely consistent with his performance over the past few seasons. He has simply experienced alternating periods of high and low performance.”
“When opportunities are favorable, it’s crucial to capitalize on them. And on occasions where you perform exceptionally well, effectively leading the offensive charge, that undoubtedly contributes to your team securing victories.”
