As the Cubs embark on a new campaign with a new manager (Craig Counsell) at the helm, we answer 24 of the most pressing questions for the 2024 season.

MESA, Ariz. — When the Cubs won the World Series in 2016, one of the pillars of the team was a historically good defense.

In one sense, the 2023 Cubs defense was even better — for the first time in franchise history, the team notched 3 Gold Glove winners.

Dansby Swanson and Ian Happ won their second straight Gold Gloves while Nico Hoerner took home his first ever accolade.

Swanson led all MLB shortstops with 18 Defensive Runs Saved and has been as advertised during his first season-plus in Chicago.

“Just seeing him now for a couple weeks, it’s impressive watching him pick up a ground ball,” Craig Counsell said. “I know he won the Gold Glove and everything so I knew he was good and now I’m watching it and I’m like, ‘oh my God, could you make it look any easier?’ It’s really impressive. It’s fun to watch.”

The anchor of the defense lies up the middle, with Swanson and Hoerner forming arguably the best defensive middle infield in the game. Which is good for a Cubs pitching staff that elicits a lot of ground balls.

“There’s so many other smaller things around defense that really matter and how much they help your pitchers in terms of limiting pitches in an inning, in terms of being able to get to another inning,” Counsell said. “That rests another pitcher for a day so there’s a cascading effect to defense I think that’s really important.

“We have the best middle infielders in baseball and it’s a strength of the team. They do these pitchers a lot of good work and it’s really important.”

Sticking to the middle of the diamond, veteran catcher Yan Gomes has been known as a good defender throughout his career and Cody Bellinger’s return is a welcome sight in center field.

If Pete Crow-Armstrong earns regular playing time in center field this season and shifts Bellinger to first base, it makes the Cubs defense that much better. Crow-Armstrong has been hyped up as one of the best young defensive players in the game regardless of position.

The big questions will come at the corners. Seiya Suzuki has shown flashes in right field but is still searching for defensive consistency throughout a full season.

Christopher Morel and Michael Busch have both moved around the diamond a lot in their professional careers but the Cubs are rolling with them at third and first base, respectively. Morel made a pair of errors in Wednesday’s game but has been able to focus on only one position this spring for the first time.

Busch has never started a game at first base in the big leagues. He made 17 starts there in the Dodgers minor league system and that is where he spent most of his collegiate career (158 games).

Patrick Wisdom is another option at first base but he is a natural third baseman. Nick Madrigal, normally a second baseman, made the move to third base last year and performed really well.

The Cubs certainly have some question marks on defense but run prevention has been a primary focus of this team — and a focus of Counsell’s — for years.

“How good we are defensively is a huge part of the win puzzle,” Counsell said. “And so we stress it everyday to our players.”

24 for ’24 series

What are the Cubs expecting from Kyle Hendricks in 2024 and beyond?
What role will Drew Smyly fill on the 2024 Cubs?
How will Jameson Taillon fare in Year 2 with Cubs?
How will Shota Imanaga handle the adjustment to MLB?
Who will DH for the Cubs?
Who is the Cubs’ fifth starter?
Will defense once again be the Cubs’ strength?
Can Seiya Suzuki pick up where he left off? 
What are the Cubs’ long-term plans at first base?
Have the Cubs done enough to address their left-handed hitting?
Will Justin Steele replicate his stellar 2023 season?