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Cubs' Dansby Swanson Is So Hot, He's Putting Up Sammy Sosa Numbers (Seriously)

The Cubs shortstop's 26 RBI in 10 games surpassed Sosa for the most in that span.
Zoe Grossman|
Jun 29, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (7) prepares to enter the field prior to a game against the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
Jun 29, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (7) prepares to enter the field prior to a game against the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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It's been quite the bout of whiplash to see Dansby Swanson go from one of MLB's worst hitters mere weeks ago to the history-making numbers he's putting up now.

For the first time in his career, Swanson hit three home runs in the Chicago Cubs' 23-3 win over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday afternoon.

The game didn't even reach the 3rd inning before Swanson had a multi-home run game for the second straight day.

Two at-bats resulted in 831 feet worth of home runs. It followed his two long balls in the Cubs' win on Tuesday, and it gave Swanson four home runs in 10 innings and 22 RBI in his last 10 games.

Per ESPN's Jesse Rogers, it was the most RBI in a 10-game span by a Cub since Sammy Sosa's 24 from Aug. 6-15, 2002!

By Swanson's final at-bat of the game in the 8th inning, San Diego had catcher Rodolfo Durán on the mound to save its pitchers' arms.

Swanson kept swinging anyway. With the bases loaded and nobody out, he sent Durán's first offering, a 43.1-mph Eephus at his chest, into the bleachers.

Sure, it wasn't off an actual pitcher. But the record books will only show that Swanson tacked on four more RBI to bring his 10-game total to 26 and surpass Sosa for the franchise's most-ever in that span.

His eight RBI were also the most by a Cub in a single game since — you guessed it — Sosa in 2002. The latter drove in nine against the Colorado Rockies.

That is elite company. And it offers a perfect perspective on just how good Swanson has been since he went on a tear in Queens.

Dansby Swanson Can't Be Stopped

Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson
Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (7) look back at home plate umpire Rob Drake after a called strike in the third inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago Cubs at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Tuesday, April 4, 2023. The Reds led the Cubs after six innings. Chicago Cubs At Cincinnati Reds | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

It all started on that fateful day at Citi Field on June 24, when Swanson racked up 11 RBI in the Cubs' doubleheader sweep of the New York Mets.

Swanson had entered that series in New York with the worst batting average (.183) among qualified hitters. Yes, you read that right. After his scorcher on Wednesday, his average climbed to .210 and his OPS to .731. That was helped by a 15-game stretch in which he's slashed .333/.371/.895 (1.228 OPS).

His 25 RBI over that span are the most in MLB, and his seven home runs are tied for second-most.

Per Just Baseball, Swanson is also the second shortstop in MLB history to have eight home runs and 25 RBI in a 13-game span, joining Troy Tulowitzki's 13 home runs and 29 RBI over that span in 2010. Tulowitzki was an All-Star, Silver Slugger, and finished fifth in NL MVP voting with the Colorado Rockies that year.

The trends are there — Swanson is hitting the cover off the ball at a historic pace.

It's no coincidence that the Cubs are 15-4 in their last 19 games. The Cubs could never afford to move Swanson out of the lineup when he was struggling, because his defense is sorely needed. The Cubs' offensive numbers struggled as he did. Now, he's one of MLB's hottest hitters, and the Cubs have become one of the hottest teams in the league.

They finished with the fifth-best record in June (16-10), despite how rough things were early in the month. With the way Swanson is playing, it's hard not to see the Cubs getting even hotter.

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Zoe Grossman
ZOE GROSSMAN

I am a sports journalist and content producer born and raised on Chicago's North Side. I graduated from the University of Denver in 2022 with a Bachelor's degree in Media Studies and from Northwestern University in 2024 with a Master's degree in Journalism. As a student, I earned bylines in USA TODAY and FanSided and covered a wide range of sporting events, including Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas and the NBA Draft Combine. I previously covered the Chicago Cubs as a beat writer and digital content producer at Marquee Sports Network during the 2025 season. I also assisted in coverage of the Bears, Sky, Fire and Stars. I most recently covered the 2026 Winter Olympics with NBC Sports, where I wrote about bobsled, luge and skeleton for NBCOlympics.com. When I'm not writing, I love to play my guitar (I'm a lefty!), find the best cold brew coffee in the city and watch my beloved Chicago sports teams on TV.

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