The weight of a third World Series title win landed on Alex Bregman as soon as he joined the Cubs. Former Cubs star Anthony Rizzo was present at the 2026 Gold Glove Defensive Infield event and did not hesitate to show that he had high hopes for Bregman.

“Bregman’s gonna elevate. Bregman’s expectations of himself are gonna elevate everyone,” said Rizzo. “He’s played a lot of meaningful baseball games, he knows what it takes to win, and they got the taste last year. Wrigley was absolutely electric. So I would imagine coming here, the Cubs are really going to have to be everyone’s best op. Wrigley’s just gonna be elevated. The visiting teams are gonna be elevated as well.”

The Cubs acquired Alex Bregman this offseason on a 5-year $175 million deal. Now, Anthony Rizzo is counting on him due to his impressive offensive skills as a slugger through pulling the ball in the air using his right hand. Additionally, his plate discipline and his bat-to-ball skills help him to give a consistent performance in the game every season. Bregman’s postseason performance has seen him hit 19 homers. With the Cubs, Bregman’s right-handed hitting power, alongside Seiya Suzuki, will help to balance the team opposite left-handed sluggers like Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch. It will also fill the gap caused by Kyle Tucker’s departure from the team.

Besides offense, the Cubs are also getting an impressive defender in Bregman. He is a consistent defender at third base. His barehanded play at third base to retire Yanier Diaz during a game against the Houston Astros in August last year is an example of the threat he presents to opposition hitters.

Alex Bregman comes to the Chicago Cubs already a two-time winner of the World Series in MLB. He won them in 2017 and 2022, both times with his former team, the Houston Astros. Besides World Series wins, he also gained a 9-for-9 record in terms of postseason appearances since he made his MLB debut. No wonder Anthony Rizzo is relying on Bregman to carry the team this upcoming season.

The Chicago Cubs’ infield for the upcoming season presently consists of Michael Busch at first base, Nico Hoerner at second base, Alex Bregman at third base, and Dansby Swanson at shortstop. Meanwhile, Matt Shaw might perform the super-utility role for the team. With so many talented players backing each other, the team has its infield built up.

While Alex Bregman is focused on his third World Series along with the Chicago Cubs, one of his new teammates has high praise for him – Nico Hoerner.

Nico Hoerner admires newcomer Alex Bregman amidst trade rumors

Alex Bregman’s playing career had gained him acclaim from Nico Hoerner, one of his new teammates in the Chicago Cubs. Hoerner appeared at the 2026 Cubs Convention Blue Carpet Special, where he was asked about his opinions on Alex Bregman joining the team.

“I’ve admired him from afar for a long time. He’s a player, as a profile offensively, is something I’ve looked up to,” he stated. “He’s a great player, and I guess he’s scored over a 100 postseason games. Like that’s amazing, and cool that he’s done all that and chose to be here because I know he sees winning in his future.”

Alex Bregman and Nico Hoerner are part of the same team, in the middle of the rumors of the latter being traded, with the San Francisco Giants being the likely destination for Hoerner. That being said, if both stay on the same team, Hoerner can back up Bregman with his contact hitting. Defensively, Hoerner and Bregman can cover the second and third bases, respectively, to prevent the opponents from scoring runs.

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All things said and done, only time will reveal whether Alex Bregman and Nico Hoerner remain on the new Chicago Cubs team on the road to the third World Series this upcoming season or compete against each other as rivals.