As the first full month of the Chicago Cubs’ season wound down, there was one player who was concerning fans more than most. It appears that Dansby Swanson was concerning his manager too.
Enough to bump him down in the batting order to No. 8 when the team kicked off a series against the Pirates. Since that move, Swanson has been on fire, and oddly enough, he credits Red Bull for being the magic bullet.
Before Swanson was moved down in the order, he was struggling mightily, hitting .181 with a .577 OPS in March and April. Those numbers included a start to the season that saw him bash a few homers.
It went downhill quickly. It’s also turned around quickly, thanks to the aforementioned energy drink.
Red Bull is the Chicago Cubs’ biggest hero
“Ever since Nicky Lopez got here, he gives me, like, a little quick swing of his Red Bull,” the Chicago Cubs’ starting shortstop told the Marquee Network’s Tony Andracki. “I don’t ever drink Red Bull. But I said one day, ‘You know what? Sure.”
“And that’s been the difference,” Swanson added.
Naperville Nicky actually joined the Cubs on April 23. However, it apparently took Swanson some time to warm up to the idea of swigging some Red Bull. The shortstop says he didn’t try it until that first game against the Pirates on April 30.
Since that day, Swanson has been on an absolute tear. He’s hitting .462 with a 1.366 OPS, 3 home runs, and 5 runs batted in. There aren’t any signs of slowing down at the moment, as he went 3-for-4 on Monday night against the Giants with 2 doubles.
The Cubs star obviously doesn’t really believe that Red Bull worked some magic on his swing. He credits trusting the same process he always does, and it finally worked.
“I give a lot of credit to hitting guys,” he added. “Just kind of keeping me locked in and getting me to a good place to have good at-bats and do what I can to help us win.”
While he won’t say it, it’s possible moving out of the middle of the order might have helped as well. It’s impossible to quantify, but there is some added pressure when hitting 3, 4, or 5 instead of No. 8 in the lineup. Perhaps hitting lower allowed him to just relax and lean on his training.
Whatever the reason, whether it’s the addition of Nicky Lopez and his daily doses of Red Bull, repetition or his spot in the lineup, the Chicago Cubs are taking advantage as they continue to sit in first place in the NL Central.