Fresh off signing a seven-year, $177 million contract with the Cubs last offseason, Swanson underwhelmed at the plate in 2023 with a .744 OPS, which was his lowest mark since 2018. He still eclipsed 20 homers and 80 RBI for the third straight year, but his nine stolen bases were only half his total from 2022 despite the rule changes in favor of base stealers. He spent some rare time on the injured list with a heel issue, which is the first time he's missed more than two games in a season since 2019. Swanson provided elite defense at shortstop, as his 18 DRS led the league. He also cut his strikeout rate two points to 24.1 percent and improved his walk rate over three points to 10.5 percent, though his hard-hit rate dropped below 40 percent for the first time in five seasons. Now entering his age-30 campaign, Swanson is a safe option for another productive campaign in 2024 and is a decent bet for a minor rebound. Read Past Outlooks