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MLB: Chicago White Sox at Chicago Cubs May 17, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (7) round the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Chicago White Sox during the fifth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Chicago Cubs’ shortstop continues to put himself in elite company

Originally posted on ChiCitySports | By Andy Jachim | Last updated May 19, 2025 1:30 PM ET

The Chicago Cubs head to Miami following a sweep of the White Sox at Wrigley Field over the weekend with an opportunity to pad their lead in the NL Central. The bats came alive earlier for the Cubs in their Rivalry Weekend series, as they put up 13 runs in game one. Pete Crow-Armstrong was the star of the series, as he hit over .500 in the three games. The Cubs’ top trade return at the 2021 deadline is making an early push into the NL MVP conversation, and is seen as the front-runner to start in center field at the All-Star game in July.

The club will see the Marlins for the second time in as many weeks beginning Monday night. Chicago took two of three from fish at home last Monday through Wednesday, as the Marlins avoided the sweep in the series finale. Another Cub veteran made noise at the plate over the weekend, and joined a solid group of shortstops in MLB history in the process.

Dansby Swanson puts himself in elite company once again

Swanson clubbed out his 150th career home run in Saturday’s 7-3 win. The solo blast came in the fifth frame and made it 5-3 Cubs at the time and was the former number one overall pick’s 10th long ball of the campaign. With this homer, Swanson became just the 10th shortstop in MLB history to have 150 career homers and two Gold Glove awards.

Swanson has turned a corner after being in a slump throughout most of April. He is slashing .253/.315/.472, giving him a .787 OPS in 47 games. His average dipped below .185 at one point during his slump, and his new spot in the bottom third of the team’s order has worked wonders. Along with his 10 homers, Swanson has driven in 26 runs so far in 2025.

The Chicago Cubs need to take care of business to finish May

MLB: Miami Marlins at Chicago Cubs May 12, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (7) and outfielder Seiya Suzuki (27) after the game against thew Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images

The Cubs have an opportunity to build a stronger lead in the NL Central with how their slate is shaping up to finish the month. They had one of the harder schedules in baseball to begin the campaign, and their opponents to end May could set them up in a great position entering the summer months.

Following their three-game set on the road against the Marlins, Chicago will remain away from Wrigley Field over the weekend when they square off against the Reds in a crucial divisional series. They return home to take on the Colorado Rockies, the worst team in baseball, to begin next week before they host the Reds for another three-game series.

Based on how the Cubs did against the NL West gauntlet they faced to begin the season, they have proven that they can be a legit threat in the National League playoff picture this season. They have done their job so far in taking care of the easier part of their schedule, it’s just about keeping the foot on the pedal for the rest of May.

MLB: Chicago Cubs at New York Mets May 11, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (7) throws the ball for an out to first base during the fourth inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

This article first appeared on ChiCitySports and was syndicated with permission.

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