Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman positioned himself carefully as reliever Ryan Rolison delivered a pitch. The Gold Glove Award winner of 2024 confidently charged to field a slow ground ball from Atlanta’s Ozzie Albies. Bregman executed a flawless double play, helping the Cubs escape trouble in the eighth inning. His crucial play kept Atlanta scoreless, contributing to the Cubs’ 7-3 victory at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs’ win improved their record to 84-67, maintaining a slim lead for the National League wild-card spot. Bregman’s defense has been instrumental, part of the team’s first-place ranking in Defensive Runs Saved, Outs Above Average, and Fielding Run Value.
“It’s the thing on our team that we are good at, it’s pretty stable,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell stated. “For us to have the big success, we have to be good at it. To be a good team, you got to be good at something, right? You can pick a lot of things to be good at. This is what this team is really good at. Other teams have other strengths, but the defense is certainly our strength.”
Offensively, MVP candidate Pete Crow-Armstrong was outstanding, going 4-for-5 with a home run, a stolen base, and four RBIs. He nearly completed the cycle and tied Billy Williams’ record for the most home runs by a left-hand hitter in franchise history.
“I’ve gotten to know him decently well and some of his extended family a bit. I like all of them a lot as people,” Crow-Armstrong remarked about Williams. “It’s great that he continues to represent the Cubs. At the same time, I think he’d want me to surpass him and his numbers. If that homer’s going to mean anything, I’m glad I could hit that one for Billy. That was 42 for Billy.”
Though successful now, Bregman faced challenges early in the season, with a fielding run value of minus-1 in the first seven games. Coach Jonathan Mota and the analytic staff explored how to revive the skills that earned Bregman a Gold Glove with the Astros in 2024. By adjusting his infield position back to where he excelled, his defensive abilities returned.
“His positioning at third base, where he was playing last year in 2025 with Boston, he was playing somewhere different,” Mota noted. “That’s part of Boston’s unique philosophy in terms of how to play against hitters.”
Bregman’s defensive stats had dipped in Boston due to his positioning closer to home plate and away from the foul line. By reverting to a set-up near the line, Bregman’s ability to handle ground balls improved. This strategic shift benefited Dansby Swanson as well, positioning him nearer second base and enabling strong directional play.
Mota and Bregman amended his mechanics, including a more nuanced pre-pitch setup. Long toss drills improved his arm strength, allowing a better transition from fielding to throwing.
“Read the ball better, react better,” Bregman revealed. “Honestly, transition into catching the baseball and throwing it better. The whole thing.”
These adjustments restored Bregman’s 2024 version statistically. He ranks second in Outs Above Average among major-league third basemen and third in Fielding Run Value, trailing only Manny Machado and Caleb Durbin.
“It makes a difference,” Bregman stated. “And our advance team does a really good job of kind of positioning us with Mota and putting us in the best chance to get to as many balls as possible.”