3 Cubs players who’ll be better in 2023, and 2 who won’t

Why Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson will not have a better year in 2023

Dansby Swanson is going to be a good player for the Cubs. He also won’t be nearly as good as he was for the Atlanta Braves last year. It was his best season of all. Appearing in all 162 games for the Braves, Swanson batted .277/.329/.447 with 25 home runs and 96 RBI. He set multiple career highs. It was a convenient way to end his tenure in Atlanta.

Swanson joins the Cubs with lesser numbers in his career. He has slashed .255/.321/.417 overall and averaged only 20 home runs and 81 RBI per 162 games.

It’s not wrong to view Swanson as the weakest of the big-name shortstops to hit the open market this offseason. He had some struggles throughout his time in Atlanta, batting under .250 in 2017, 2018, and again in 2021.

The exact version of Swanson the Cubs are getting is a bit of a mystery. Will he be the high-power, low-average guy he was in 2021 or has he turned a corner for good?

Swanson shouldn’t remain the focal point in the Cubs lineup. He’s just one available piece they felt they needed to add this winter. He’ll be good, just not worthy of a 12th-place finish in the MVP race as he was in 2022.