The Atlanta Braves entered into rebuild mode following a season full of letdowns in 2014. It became abundantly clear that the roster was full of bloated contracts and unrealized potential. The first big move was trading Jason Heyward and Jordan Walden to the St. Louis Cardinals for Tyrell Jenkins and Shelby Miller. The Braves went on to trade Justin Upton, Craig Kimbrel, Melvin Upton Jr., Evan Gattis, and Andrelton Simmons over the coming year. The Major League talent in Atlanta took an understandable hit, but the organization as a whole is better poised to compete in the coming years. One of the key young talents acquired in the rebuild is shortstop Dansby Swanson.
High Expectations for Dansby Swanson
The Acquisition of Swanson
Shelby Miller was acquired during the Heyward/Walden trade with the expectation that he would help the starting rotation for years to come. Miller began his time in Atlanta with a fantastic 2015 season. His record of 6-17 simply did not paint an accurate picture of his performance. Miller led the Braves rotation with 205.1 innings pitched and a 3.02 ERA. He also posted two complete-game shutouts and posted a FIP of 3.45. Miller exceeded expectations for 2015 and appeared primed to lead Atlanta’s rotation into the future. But then the Arizona Diamondbacks came knocking.
The Dbacks had already started the process of building a strong rotation for 2016. Arizona had signed Zack Greinke to a six-year, $206.5 million contract to pitch alongside developing southpaw Patrick Corbin. They eventually decided to go “all-in” for 2016 by acquiring Miller from the Braves for Ender Inciarte, pitching prospect Aaron Blair, and Swanson. This trade has turned out wonderfully for Atlanta, and Fangraphs named it the best transaction of the 2016 offseason. Further cementing the success of the trade for Atlanta is the disastrous 2016 Miller suffered through and the impressive debut of Swanson.
Swanson in the Minors
Swanson began 2016 as the top prospect in Atlanta’s farm system. The 2015 first overall pick was assigned to the Carolina Mudcats for the start of the season. Swanson appeared in just 31 games for the Advanced-A Mudcats before his promotion to Double-A. He posted an impressive slash line of .333/.441/.526/.967 to go with one home run, 10 RBI, and seven steals.
Swanson was promoted to the Mississippi Braves on April 30 and went two-for-three with a double, a home run, and three RBI in his impressive Double-A debut. His bat went on to produce mixed results during his time in Mississippi. Swanson hit eight home runs and drove in 45 runs, but his batting average dipped to .261. He also posted an unremarkable .745 OPS. It began to look like Swanson would finish 2016 still in the minors, but the Braves opened a roster spot by parting ways with Erick Aybar via a trade in August.
Swanson’s Call Up and Debut
Swanson made his debut for Atlanta on August 17 against the Minnesota Twins. Some criticized Atlanta’s decision to move Swanson straight to Major League Baseball from Double-A. They pointed out a decreased average and OPS, along with an increase in strikeouts at Double-A. Atlanta’s front office remained adamant that it was a great opportunity to get Swanson at-bats at the Major League level and gauge his development.
Swanson posted two singles and went two-for-four with a strikeout in his debut, but did little else to impress right away. In August, Swanson appeared in 12 games and posted a line of .279/.319/.326 and an OPS of .645, with just two extra-base hits. The critics became louder in early September.
Swanson started the month slowly, but did not wait long before making some noise. Swanson logged his first home run, an inside-the-parker, on September 6. He ended the night two-for-four with a run and three RBI. Swanson took this spark and went on a tear to finish the season, posting a line of .314/.381/.500 over the course of September and October. He finished his 2016 season in Atlanta with a line of .302/.361/.442 and an OPS of .803, with three home runs in 38 games. Many fans were also happy to hear that Swanson will retain his rookie status and will be eligible for the Rookie of the Year Award in 2017.
Swanson’s Future in Atlanta
Expectations remain high for Swanson throughout Atlanta’s fan base. The front office is also relying on Swanson to continue his development into a superstar. Freddie Freeman is the current face of the franchise and is coming off an MVP-caliber season. That said, every fan base wants a hometown star to root for. Swanson was born in Marietta, Georgia, and played his college baseball in Braves Country at Vanderbilt University. Dansby Swanson is much more than a potential superstar to the Braves; he is their marketing plan for the next decade.
The potential in Swanson remains clearly evident and is beginning to show on a more consistent basis. It would not be a surprise to see Swanson compete for Rookie of the Year in 2017. Swanson still does not possess elite power, but there is no denying that he can change the game with his bat. Swanson could very well develop into a consistent .300 hitter with a high on-base percentage and the ability to hit lots of doubles. Yes, many players come with high expectations and flame out quickly, but Swanson is equipped with the mental fortitude and physical abilities to tackle these expectations and flourish for a long time.
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