By Dan Hock
CHICAGO – Chicago Cubs left fielder Ian Happ, second baseman Nico Hoerner and shortstop Dansby Swanson tonight were named National League Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners at their respective positions.
This is the first time the Cubs have had at least three players earn Gold Gloves in a season and the first time the team has been honored with multiple award winners since 2020 when first baseman Anthony Rizzo and shortstop Javier Báez were named Gold Glove winners. Hoerner and Swanson are the first middle infield teammates to win the award in the same season since San Francisco’s Joe Panik and Brandon Crawford did so in 2016.
Happ won the N.L. Gold Glove in left field for the second-straight season, becoming the first Cubs outfielder to earn consecutive awards since Jason Heyward did so in 2016-17 manning right field. He is the first left fielder to win consecutive awards in the N.L. since St. Louis’ Tyler O’Neill in 2020-21. Besides Happ and Heyward, just two other Cubs outfielders have earned the award: Bob Dernier in 1984 and Andre Dawson in 1987-88. Happ this season led all left fielders with 12 outfield assists and his 23 outfield assists since the start of 2021 are second among all left fielders.
Hoerner was named a N.L. Gold Glove Award winner for the first time in his career and is just the fifth Cubs second baseman to earn the honor, joining Ken Hubbs (1962), Glenn Beckert (1968), Ryne Sandberg (1984-91) and Darwin Barney (2012). Hoerner, who was a finalist for the Gold Glove at second base in 2020, this season recorded 411 assists to lead the majors while posting a .988 fielding percentage (7 E/596 TC) in 135 games at second base.
Swanson is just the fourth Cubs shortstop to earn the N.L. Gold Glove Award, joining Ernie Banks in 1960, Don Kessinger in 1969-70 and Javier Báez in 2020. This marks Swanson’s second consecutive award at the position after earning the honor with Atlanta in 2022, making him the first N.L. shortstop to win consecutive awards since Arizona’s Nick Ahmed in 2018-19. Swanson this season led all shortstops with 18 defensive runs saved and ranked fourth with a 4.9 fWAR.
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