​BALTIMORE — Nico Hoerner can’t help but smile when he thinks back to Dansby Swanson’s decision to sign with the Chicago Cubs. After the Cubs made Swanson their longtime shortstop with a seven-year, $177 million contract in December 2022, there was a rush to imagine them as a paired duo. “They’re asking about our friendship, like before I’d even met him—it’s funny, but there’s no substitute for time,” Hoerner told the Tribune. “It’s a really special thing to have in our sport, whether it’s time with one team or time with teammates, and the more we’ve played together and the more moments we’ve enjoyed on and off the field, my respect for him grows, and our friendship does too. I feel we’re aligned by similar things—coming from different places and backgrounds—but when it comes to what we want from baseball, our careers, and our families, we see a lot of things the same way, and that makes sharing a clubhouse with someone easy.”
Jed Hoyer, the Cubs’ president of baseball operations, has prioritized defense as he has built the roster over the last four years, focusing on the middle infield where Swanson and Hoerner reside. Among all second-base and shortstop combinations, the Cubs lead the majors with a remarkable .995 fielding percentage. Swanson, at 32, leads all shortstops in assists and sits fourth in Fielding Run Value, while Hoerner, 29, has yet to commit a fielding error and is tied for second among second basemen in Fielding Run Value. Together, they’re shaping into the defining double-play duo for a generation of Cubs fans.
Swanson and Hoerner have climbed to fifth in franchise history, dating back to 1898, for most games started together as a double-play pairing, with 510. Ahead of them are pairs like Billy Herman and Billy Jurges (816), Ryne Sandberg and Shawon Dunston (957), Glenn Beckert and Don Kessinger (1,082), and Johnny Evers and Joe Tinker (1,092). That mark also places Swanson and Hoerner second among active players, behind only Houston’s Carlos Correa (on the 60-day injured list) and Jose Altuve, who have started 670 together. With three more years under contract after 2026, Swanson and Hoerner could surpass 1,000 starts side by side if they stay healthy.
“It’s been such a joy and a treat to be able to play beside him,” Swanson told the Tribune. “He makes my job a lot easier, and that’s the cool thing about defense — it’s not just individual effort, but a group effort, with guys in the right places, defending as a unit. That, to me, is the fun part of how he goes about it.”
Their reputations as a seamless defensive pairing are echoed by teammates who speak of their abilities with almost reverence. For first baseman Michael Busch, playing alongside Swanson and Hoerner is the only world he has known in the big leagues, a constant reminder of the proficiency and harmony that define the Cubs’ infield. As the seasons unfold, Hoerner and Swanson’s bond—built on time, trust, and a shared vision for baseball and family—continues to be a cornerstone of the Cubs’ identity and a source of pride for the fan base.