NEW YORK — Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson delivered a historic doubleheader Wednesday, giving himself the best four-game series by any player in Cubs history — and the series isn’t even finished yet.
In the nightcap against the struggling New York Mets, Swanson drove in four runs, including a go-ahead RBI triple, helping Chicago finish off a sweep with a 10-5 victory. Earlier in the day, he belted a three-run home run and a grand slam in a 10-3 Cubs win in the opener.
His 11 RBIs across the two games set a franchise record, topping the previous mark of 10 set by Hall of Famer Ron Santo on July 6, 1970. The only other Cubs player with nine RBIs in a doubleheader is another Hall of Famer — Billy Williams, who accomplished the feat on Aug. 21, 1968.
“A dream come true, just being able to have your name next to those guys,” Swanson said. “It’s amazing and special.”
The 11 RBIs rank tied for third-most ever in a doubleheader. The all-time record of 13 belongs to Nate Colbert of the San Diego Padres, set on Aug. 1, 1972 — a mark later matched by St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Mark Whiten on Sept. 7, 1993.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell was clearly impressed by the performance. “Dansby had an incredible day of baseball offensively, for sure,” Counsell said. “It’s fun to see.”
Swanson also went deep Tuesday night, giving him three home runs and 15 RBIs through the first three games of the series, which is scheduled to wrap up Thursday evening.
Those 15 RBIs represent the most ever by a Cubs player in a series of four games or fewer since 1920, when the RBI became an official statistic. It’s also the most by any Chicago player in a series of any length since Hall of Famer Kiki Cuyler drove in 15 runs across a five-game set back in 1932.
The three-game total of 15 RBIs also breaks a record for shortstops, surpassing the 14 RBIs Nomar Garciaparra drove in with the Boston Red Sox from May 10-12, 1999. The only other Cubs player with 15 or more RBIs in a three-game stretch is Sammy Sosa, who totaled 16 from Aug. 10-12, 2002.
“I couldn’t tell you a game that I’ve had like this,” Swanson said. “It’s one that you honestly dream about. Just very, very grateful.”
The outburst snapped a prolonged cold stretch for Swanson, who came into Tuesday’s game batting just .178 with three home runs and 14 RBIs over his previous 48 games dating back to April 24. On the season, he is hitting .202 with a .688 OPS — below his career averages of .251 and .732, respectively, heading into 2026.
Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner praised his teammate’s perseverance. “You say process, process, process and stick to it, but every player is aware of how they’re producing and helping the team,” Hoerner said. “He’s been so consistent and persistent. That doesn’t guarantee results, but man, does it feel good when those come through.”
Despite the slump, Swanson has posted 11 home runs and 46 RBIs through 80 games, putting him on pace for his fifth 20-homer season and within striking distance of his career-high 96 RBIs, which he set during his final year with the Atlanta Braves in 2022.
Counsell put the season in perspective. “If you probably look at Dansby’s season right now, it’s kind of a normal season for Dansby. Maybe the batting average is a little bit low, but probably all the other numbers are right around where he’s been the last couple years. It’s just been peaks and valleys for him,” the manager said. “The good times, you’ve got to take advantage of them. And when you have days like that and you’re kind of the primary driver of offense, that’s going to win your team games.”
