MESA, Ariz. — Alex Bregman made a point to stop in the coaches’ office on a recent spring morning to chat with the group about things they wanted to zero in on with the players during the spring. It was just another example of how the Cubs’ new star is quickly trying to put his fingerprints on the ballclub.
Shortly after signing his five-year, $175 million contract with Chicago in January, Bregman requested reports on his teammates from the Cubs’ front office. He also wanted a meeting with staff on the player development side to discuss points of emphasis and philosophy. Bregman is already involved on multiple fronts, planting seeds that could have longer-term impact.
“He does it in the right way,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. “He’s going to work with our staff: ‘What are the things you’re working on? What can I help with?’ It’s rare to have a player that invested in helping to make young guys better. And I think you’ll see it in various ways, but it’s kind of a wonderful quality that he has.
“It’s something that people with the Astros talk about, people with the Red Sox talk about. And it’s something he’s earned.”
The Cubs do not lack for veteran leadership inside their clubhouse.
Ian Happ is a soft-spoken, but capable leader whose career in Chicago overlaps with the last core group that won the World Series in 2016. Nico Hoerner leads through disciplined work ethic and his voice carries weight when he does speak up. Dansby Swanson, Jameson Taillon and Matthew Boyd, among others, bring their experience and routines to the table as well.
The Cubs were confident that Bregman — a three-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion and one-time Gold Glove Award winner — would add to that dynamic behind the scenes, but the third baseman has made an incredible first impression.
“He brings an edge,” said catcher Carson Kelly, who has known Bregman since their amateur playing days. “And I think that intensity that he brings is something that’s really going to help this team. He cares. Like, he’s a baseball junkie. He just loves talking about the game. He’s with pitchers hanging out, talking. He was in the cage the other day with catchers hanging out, talking.”
Even in Bregman’s one-year stint with the Red Sox last season, he swiftly developed into one of the team’s leaders and a revered mentor for the younger players in Boston. Bregman has continued that with the Cubs. In particular, Pete Crow-Armstrong has raved about their early conversations about decision-making at the plate. Bregman also spent time this offseason hitting and chatting with Matt Shaw at the veteran’s training facility in Arizona.
“Breggy’s awesome,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I’m really excited to spend some serious time with him. The guy is super enthusiastic about the intricacies of the game. I’ve loved hearing him share his experiences in the past. I think he’s going to make me and the whole squad a whole lot better.”
Bregman said he craves information not only to benefit his own game, but to try to get the most out of those around him.
“The more that I feel like I know,” Bregman said, “and the more that I dive in and understand how people think or what they’re good at, what they’re not good at, what they’re working on, what they don’t need to work on — it kind of simplifies it for me and kind of gives me clarity on what I need to relay.”
Of course, the Cubs targeted Bregman for more than his reputation as a leader. The North Siders believe that Bregman’s blend of plate discipline, power and strong defense will fit right in with a roster coming off a trip to the National League Division Series.
Last year, the third baseman slashed .273/.360/.462 with 18 homers, 28 doubles and 62 RBIs in 114 games, but it was a tale of two seasons for Bregman. Prior to his right quad injury on May 23, he was batting .299 with a .998 OPS. After his return from the shelf in July, Bregman hit .250 with a .724 OPS, posting a .386 slugging percentage in the final 63 games.
Bregman quipped that his quad looked “brand new” in imaging taken since last year, and said he was ready to put the on-field ups and downs of 2025 behind him.
“I feel like I was having the best start, or month-and-a-half stretch, of my life,” Bregman said. “I look forward to doing that and being better than that.”
And he is doing all he can already to make that happen.
“It’s not surprising,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “What everybody loves about him is what makes him fun to work with. To be the level of player that he is and still be able to talk about how he’s doing things, to be able to carry that over to helping other players, those are rare traits.”
