After Seiya Suzuki’s standout right-field throw Saturday night, he acknowledged years of “a little bit of a worry” about his defense—then described how he feels better heading into this season. Teammates say he’s been working, and the Cubs’ elite defense is dr
In the ninth inning Saturday night, the moment didn’t feel like it belonged to Seiya Suzuki.
Ivan Herrera took off for third base, likely thinking the Cubs had no way to catch him in time. He never got that chance. From right field. Suzuki fired an on-the-money throw that turned the play into a highlight—sending a clear message that the concerns many fans attached to Suzuki’s defense may no longer fit.
“The last few years, with my defense, I think there was a little bit of worry,” Suzuki said through an interpreter following Saturday’s Cubs win. “But coming into this year, I felt good.”
Cubs fans have plenty of reasons to remember the uncertainty. The conversation often goes back to a dropped fly ball in Atlanta at the close of the 2023 season—an image that colored how some supporters viewed Suzuki as a defender.
Now, after the way Saturday ended, the emphasis among teammates appears to be shifting from what Suzuki was to what he’s becoming.
Shortstop Dansby Swanson put it bluntly when asked about the leap he’s seen. “It’s never been an ability thing,” Swanson told the Sun-Times on Sunday. “I think Seiya might have more talent than anybody on our team. Just the things he’s capable of doing, it’s so impressive.”
Swanson said what stands out even more than the physical tools is the mindset. “For him to be almost humble enough to know he’s got things that he can work on and get better at – and also go work on them and get better at them – kind of shows who he is and how much he cares about his craft and being a good player.”.
That matters for a Cubs club that has built a reputation around defense. Swanson is one of five Gold Glovers in the everyday lineup—alongside second baseman Nico Hoerner, third baseman Alex Bregman, left fielder Ian Happ and center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.
But the Cubs’ defensive identity isn’t confined to award-winners. Even players who haven’t stacked up hardware for fielding can still be crucial to the way the team operates.
After winning the team Gold Glove last season. the Cubs again rank as the best defensive team in baseball. according to multiple metrics like Outs Above Average and Fielding Run Value. They’re creating chaos for the people trying to reach base, pressing hitters and base-runners with quick reactions and precision.
Swanson described the feeling like a kind of pressure you can’t shake. “It really sets our team up to have a lot of success,” he said. “Because when you make other teams earn their way on base. earn their way around the bases. it can make it really. really hard. It can be like a suffocating type of feeling. just because all over the diamond. we have guys that are capable of doing some pretty special things.”.
For him, that defense isn’t just a highlight reel—it’s a calling card. “It is one of our calling cards of this group, our defensive ability.”
The throwing display from Suzuki was vivid, but it wasn’t the only part of his game the Cubs need right now.
Even with the defense improving, Suzuki is here to hit.
Coming into Sunday, he was batting .250/.339/.405 with seven homers in 45 games. His batting average and on-base percentage looked better than they did in 2025. but the expectations around a middle-of-the-order hitter are still higher—especially after his power output last season. Suzuki hit 32 home runs in 2024, two off the team lead.
He acknowledged there’s a mix in his results, but described his focus as steady and at-bat by at-bat. “There’s good at-bats in there, some bad at-bats. But I think the amount of good at-bats are increasing. and I’m trying to figure everything out one at-bat at a time. ” Suzuki said. “Even if I’m not hitting well, I can focus on defense and try to help the team there, too. But I’m trying to get that offense going.”.
That total-package version of Suzuki is exactly what a contender needs—especially a team like the Cubs that has sky-high, championship-level goals.
And there’s an added urgency to it. Suzuki is due to hit free agency at the close of the campaign. Until then. the Cubs’ belief in him—on the field and at the plate—feels tied to a simple question: can he keep proving that he belongs in the middle of their winning formula. not just as a defender who has a highlight occasionally. but as a dependable difference-maker day after day.
Seiya Suzuki Chicago Cubs defense Gold Glove Dansby Swanson Nico Hoerner Alex Bregman Ian Happ Pete Crow-Armstrong Ivan Herrera free agency