Top 5 highlights from a historically elite Cubs defense

CHICAGO – This current era of Cubs baseball has defense as a calling card. Chicago believes its defensive unit is a true piece to the team’s identity and an element that can be a constant amid other peaks and valleys.

“Just as a whole group now in 2026,” Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson said earlier this year, “it’s almost unique in the way it’s so good from every position.”

That was certainly the case in 2026, when the North Siders set single-season Statcast-era records in fielding run value (+72) and outs above average (+72). The Cubs also have five players – center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, third baseman Alex Bregman, left fielder Ian Happ, right fielder Seiya Suzuki and Swanson – in the mix for Rawlings Gold Glove Awards.

With the Gold Glove winners being revealed on Sunday night (6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN), this is a good time to revisit some of the best plays of Chicago’s defensive season. With apologies to the long list of players and plays who did not make the cut, here my picks for the Top 5 plays from the Cubs’ defense this season:

1. PCA calls game in St. Louis

Maybe there are other plays on this list worthy of the top slot, but the context surrounding this particular catch by Crow-Armstrong on May 30 adds an extra layer.

Amid the “tarps off” craze in St. Louis – a pile of rowdy fans filling the right-field stands sans shirts – Crow-Armstrong played the role of villain. In the eighth inning, Crow-Armstrong launched a homer into the sea of shirtless Cardinals fans right after they joined in chants of “overrated!” He flipped his bat and twirled his hand as he rounded first base, mimicking the twirling of a shirt.

And then in the ninth, Crow-Armstrong ranged far into the left-center-field gap and stole a hit away from Jordan Walker with a sliding catch that ended a 6-1 victory for the Cubs. As he slid to a stop, the center fielder waved his glove at the stands. On that game-ending play, Crow-Armstrong covered 83 feet in 4.3 seconds and hit an elite Sprint Speed of 30.2 ft/sec, per Statcast.

It was also a moment that came as Crow-Armstrong was turning a corner on his season. He entered that game with a .676 OPS on the year. That would be the last time it dipped under .700. He posted a 1.076 OPS the rest of the way, finished as the seventh player ever to reach at least 40 homers and 40 steals in a season and put up a +26 fielding run value. That had Cubs fans chanting “M-V-P” plenty over the next several months.

2. Hoerner’s between-the-legs toss

It is a play that Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner had attempted previously, but finally pulled off to the delight of his Wrigley Field audience on May 23. The two-time Gold Glover hustled in to chase down a bunt from Houston’s Cesár Salazar, grabbed it with his bare hand and then flipped it between his legs to first baseman Michael Busch. Practice made perfect for one baseball’s elite defenders.

3. Crow-Armstrong wall-crashing catch

Crow-Armstrong made enough plays this season to warrant his own Top 10 list, so it is hard to narrow down his best defensive moments. That said, this catch on Sept. 4 in Miami jumps out. Heriberto Hernández of the Marlins sent a ball to deep center, where it tailed away from Crow-Armstrong. The center fielder broke straight back, found the ball, made the turn and plucked the baseball from the sky as he crashed into an unpadded section of fence.

4. Hoerner’s quick thinking in L.A.

Hoerner tends to be all business on a baseball field, but the veteran could not help but smile after pulling off a wild play against the Dodgers. In the seventh inning of a 6-4 win on April 24, Cubs lefty Ryan Rolison induced a sharp chopper off the bat of Hyeseong Kim. Busch couldn’t corral the ball, which shot into the air behind the first baseman. Hoerner was in position to react, jumping to grab the baseball with his bare hand and throwing it to Rolison covering first for the out.

5. Happ shows off his arm

Happ led NL left fielders in assists (nine) this year and showed why on July 27 in St. Louis. Iván Herrera of the Cardinals sent a deep fly to left field, where it hit the wall and bounced up to Happ’s chest. In one motion, the four-time Gold Glove winner collected the ball and turned to fire to second base, where Hoerner received the precise throw and tagged Herrera out.