Chicago Cubs defense is twice as good as next best defense

To say that the Chicago Cubs 2026 defense is elite may actually be an understatement. Maybe “otherworldly” is the more correct description.

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That admittedly sounds like full-blown hyperbole, but this is beyond highlight reel stuff. The numbers tell the tale of a defensive crew that has gone beyond being a safety net and is now an actual impact asset.

Not only are these guys establishing baseline stability for the pitching and offense, they are actively preventing runs—and they’re doing so at a crazy rate. Actually, according to Statcast, they are over twice as good at doing that than the next best defensive team in the majors.

Per Jordan Bastian of MLB.com:

“Looking at OAA [Outs Above Average], the Cubs’ entire group of infield-outfield regulars is above average: Crow-Armstrong (22), Swanson (15), Hoerner (six), Alex Bregman (five), Michael Busch (four), Seiya Suzuki (four) and Ian Happ (one). The same goes for Fielding Run Value, with Crow-Armstrong (24) and Swanson (10) leading the way.

To say the Cubs are at least twice as good as any other team in the Majors is not an exaggeration, either. Chicago entered Sunday ranked first in MLB with a 62 FRV [Fielding Run Value]. The Blue Jays were second at 27. The Cubs had 58 OAA going into Sunday’s action. The D-backs ranked second at 29.”

Gold Glove quality

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Just look up and down the roster and you’ll find seven of eight position players who are legit Gold Glove-capable fielders and Seiya Suzuki in right, who is having a really good defensive year as well.

And even the pitchers are doing their thing with the glove, as Brett Taylor of Bleacher Nation noted:

“I wanted to note that Boyd helped himself with some defense, as he often does (a double-play and a pick-off). With 2 DRS [Defensive Runs Saved], Boyd is tied for 15th among all pitchers. The funny thing, though, is that he’s only third on the Cubs! Shota Imanaga has 3, and Colin Rea has 4! Aaron Civale and Javier Assad also have 2, by the way. The Cubs’ absurdly good defense extends to their pitchers, it seems—their pitching staff trails only the Mets in DRS on the season.”

Unsung heroes

Defense doesn’t get a lot of headline attention in baseball, but it really is the glue that holds together a high-end team. It takes pressure of the pitching staff and keeps games close enough for the offense to pull ahead.

“Defenses, just in baseball, aren’t talked about that much,” Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson told MLB.com. “Every time you look at the scoreboard, it shows the offense stats. For the pitcher, it shows his ERA. It doesn’t ever show what we’ve done as a team defensively. And I think that’s also the cool part about it, too.”

Defenses may be unsung heroes, but the Cubs’ defense has been so tremendous that it screams “look at me.” And it just may be the factor that makes a big difference in the postseason as well.

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