What could make the Cubs' infield special in ’26

This story was excerpted from Jordan Bastian’s Cubs Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Bryant, Báez and Rizzo. Ernie Banks and Ron Santo. Ryne Sandberg and Mark Grace. Tinker to Evers to Chance.

Throughout their long history, the Cubs have featured some special infield combinations. Could another be on display in 2026?

To be sure, the Cubs’ expected ’26 starting infield -- Michael Busch, Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson and Alex Bregman -- is a long way from proving itself worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as the franchise icons listed above. But after adding Bregman to a group that was quite productive during Chicago’s run to the postseason in 2025, there’s a lot of potential.

Here’s how the Cubs' infield has improved, how it stacks up against past seasons and where it might rank among MLB’s best projected infields in 2026.

What projections say

With a jack-of-all-trades in Javier Báez and MVP candidates at first and third base in Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant, the Cubs' infield was perhaps its biggest strength during the team’s World Series win in 2016 and the successful seasons that surrounded it.

From 2015 to 2019, Chicago’s infield averaged 16.2 FanGraphs WAR per season, a total that would surpass even MLB’s best infield from 2025 (the Phillies, at 16.0 fWAR). But that average dropped to 9.7 WAR between 2021 and 2024.

Things were a bit better in 2025: The Cubs accumulated 11.8 infield WAR, ninth in MLB and just behind the Cardinals (12.3) for the best in the National League Central. Hoerner led the way with 4.6 WAR -- which led all qualifying second basemen -- while Busch was fourth among first basemen with 3.6 WAR and Swanson tied for 14th among shortstops at 3.3. Thanks to a strong second half, rookie Matt Shaw finished with 1.2 WAR, 21st among qualifying third basemen.

Hoerner is again projected to be among MLB’s top second basemen in 2026: His projected total of 3.4 WAR would rank second at the position to only Arizona’s Ketel Marte (4.5). FanGraphs has more conservative projections for Busch (2.2 WAR) and Swanson (2.6), but at 3.8 projected WAR, Bregman would lead the Cubs and would be tied for second among all third basemen, behind only the Guardians’ José Ramírez (4.4).

Including reserves, the Cubs' infield is projected for 12.8 WAR in 2025, which would be the club’s highest total since 2019 (14.8). Only one NL team, the D-backs at 13.7 WAR, have a higher projection than the Cubs in 2026, while the Phillies and Giants are tied with Chicago for seventh in MLB at 12.8.

The veteran effect

The main difference between the Cubs’ 2025 and 2026 infields, of course, is Bregman. The three-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion is known as a great teammate and a welcome presence in the field.

“It’s hard to play at his level,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell told MLB Network in February. “In addition to that, to be helping others while you’re doing it, it’s fun to be around people like that. We’ve got a bunch of guys like that, so he’s going to fit right in from that perspective.”

Bregman brings a lot to the table both offensively and defensively. An American League Silver Slugger Award winner in 2019 -- the year he finished second in AL MVP voting -- he owns a career .272/.365/.481 slash line. With the Red Sox, Bregman batted .273 with 18 homers and an .821 OPS in 114 games (he missed significant time due to a right quad injury).

The 2024 AL Gold Glover ranked in the top 10 among third basemen in Statcast fielding run value with the Red Sox in ’25. Now, he joins a Cubs defense that was MLB’s second best in 2025.

Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong was a large part of those gaudy numbers, but the Cubs’ middle-infield duo was crucial, too. Hoerner was far and away the best defensive second baseman in MLB last season, while Swanson -- who, like Hoerner, is a two-time Gold Glover -- was above average at short.