Dansby Swanson

At 30 years old, Dansby Swanson has this physical status:

James Dansby Swanson (born February 11, 1994) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB).

Swanson played college baseball for the Vanderbilt Commodores at Vanderbilt University.

In the 2015 Major League Baseball draft, the Arizona Diamondbacks selected him first overall and then moved him to the Braves during the 2015–16 offseason.

Early life

Swanson was born in Kennesaw, Georgia, on February 11, 1994. Both of his parents were undergraduate students at Troy University: his uncle Nancy played basketball and tennis, while his dad was a Trojan assistant coach. Swanson grew up outside of Atlanta and was a big fan of Major League Baseball (MLB) in Atlanta, Georgia. (MLB) has a baseball nickname. (MLB) was a Major League Baseball player who played at Turner Fields. He was a two-sport varsity athlete at Marietta High School in Georgia, playing for both the school's baseball and basketball teams. Swanson had a 44 percent three-point field goal shooting rate and averaged 14 points per game during his senior season with the Marietta Blue Devils basketball team. He had 165 three-point goals in his three-year varsity basketball career, earning the nickname "Three Swanson."

Personal life

Swanson has been invited to Mallory Pugh of the Chicago Red Stars and the United States women's national soccer team, having been born in December 2021. They met through Pugh's brother-in-law and Swanson's former teammate Jace Peterson, who started dating in 2017.

Swanson is the first MLB player to have the word "Dansby" in any part of his name. Swanson's first name is James; Dansby is his mother's maiden name. Chase is the youngest of three children, and both of his older siblings played college baseball: Chase played baseball for the Mercer Bears and Lindsey was on the Georgia College softball team.

Swanson suffers from anxiety, which has hampered his results in his first few seasons of professional baseball. He attributes his faith with his overcoming his panic attacks.

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College career

Swanson was drafted by the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the 38th round of the 2012 MLB Draft, but he refused to join them instead of expressing his commitment to playing college baseball for the Vanderbilt Commodores. After a meeting with coach Tim Corbin, Swanson had been recruited by a number of universities, including Troy, Clemson, and Georgia Tech, but he decided to attend Vanderbilt. Swanson was limited to 11 games this season, four of which he started at shortstop, during Vanderbilt's 2013 season, injuries, and youth. First, a broken foot kept him on the sidelines for six weeks. When he recovered from his injury, he had a torn glenoid labrum. Swanson underwent shoulder surgery and exercised to prepare for his second season in 2014.

Corbin asked Swanson to be the Commodores' starting second baseman when Tony Kemp left Vanderbilt after the 2014 season. In the fifth inning of Vanderbilt's 4–1 win over Stanford, Swanson scored his first collegiate home run on February 28. Swanson's.430 on-base percentage (OBP) was second to shortstop Vince Conde on the Commodores by the end of March. Swanson had a career-leading batting average, 47 runs scored, 21 doubles, and 17 stolen bases in the regular Southeastern Conference (SEC) season, as well as an All-SEC First Team pick. Despite Vanderbilt's early exit from the 2014 SEC Tournament by Ole Miss, Swanson, and the remainder of the team, the team still has a spot in the NCAA Tournament this year. During Vanderbilt's 6–4 victory over UC Irvine, the school record set by Warner Jones 10 years ago was tied for the 27th double of the season. Vanderbilt's postseason campaign came to an end when the team defeated Virginia 3–2 in the College World Series (CWS) finals, earning their first national championship. Swanson was named CWS Most Outstanding Player after batting.323 with five runs scored and two RBI in the tournament, as well as his defense at second base. He was also named to the All-Tournament team as a designated hitter, while Branden Cogswell of Virginia was named second base.

Conde's retirement and the season-long suspension of third baseman Xavier Turner compelled Corbin to shift several members of his infield, causing Corbin to move Tyler Campbell, who had appeared at third base in the CWS, to second, and in turn, Swanson to shortstop. The Commodores were second in the SEC with a.312 batting average at the end of March, while Swanson led the way with 30 runs. He made 117 appearances for Vanderbilt between 2014 and 2015 before missing the Commodores' April 28 game due to sickness. Swanson was named to the All-SEC Second Team, with a.347 batting average, 54 extra-base hits, and a conference-leading 60 runs scored, as a finalist for the best college baseball player in the United States. He was also a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, which eventually went to Andrew Benintendi of Arkansas. With the Brooks Wallace Award, the best collegiate shortstop in the United States, Swanson rounded out the 2015 college baseball awards season.

Both Swanson's two home runs and the Commodores' four were among a team's SEC Tournament single-game records while facing Missouri in the 2015 SEC Tournament. Vanderbilt placed second in the SEC Tournament after losing 7-3 to Florida in the conference finals. Swanson failed in the tournament after winning in the second game of the 2015 NCAA tournament. He batted.242 with 11 strikeouts in Vanderbilt's first three CWS games, but he was only 1-for-13 with five strikeouts and a defensive mistake. Virginia defeated Vanderbilt in the finals in a rematch of the previous season's CWS, winning their first national title.

Professional career

In the 2015 MLB Draft, the Arizona Diamondbacks selected Swanson first overall. It was the first time a college shortstop had been drafted first overall since the San Diego Padres drafted Bill Almon in 1974. He signed with the team ten minutes before the 2 p.m. (PT) deadline for that year's draft picks is reached on July 17 and given a $6.5 million signing bonus. Swanson's professional baseball debut was postponed until he was struck by a fastball from pitching prospect Yoan López during a simulation game before being assigned to one of the Diamondbacks' minor league affiliates. He was diagnosed with a concussion and required 14 stitches on his cheek. Swanson was drafted to the Class A Short Season Hillsboro Hops on August 13, 2015, after recovering from the assault. He went 0-for-2 at the plate, striking out twice, drawing a walk, and scoring a run. Swanson was told that rather than receiving a late-season promotion that would push his growth, he would finish the season with Hillsboro, having missed six weeks due to his concussion. When leading Hillsboro to a Northwest League championship, he played in 22 games for the Hops, batting.289 with one home run and 11 RBI in 83 at bats.

The Diamondbacks cut Swanson, Ender Inciarte, and Aaron Blair to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Shelby Miller and Gabe Speier, which was sold on December 9, 2015. The Braves were in the middle of a rebuild, and president of baseball operations John Hart said the team "wanted to make it difficult for [Arizona] with players we didn't have back" by refusing a Miller trade before receiving serious prospects like Swanson. Swanson was sent to the Class A-Advanced Carolina Mudcats after spending spring training with the Braves. He played in 22 games, batting.333 with a Carolina League-leading 12 doubles, before being promoted to the Double-A Mississippi Braves at the end of April. Swanson spent the first half of the season in Atlanta with Ozzie Albies in the hopes of a future starting shortstop role, but Albies, who had been playing in Triple-A, was sent down to Mississippi in July so he and Swanson could practice as a second base-shortstop pair. Swanson was chosen to play in both the Southern League All-Star Game and the All-Star Futures Game that season. He appeared in 84 games for Mississippi, batting.261 with eight home runs and 45 RBI. He batted.275 for the minor league season, with nine home runs and 55 RBI in 411 at bats in 105 games between Carolina and Mississippi.

After the Braves traded shortstop Erick Aybar to the Detroit Tigers to let him know, Swanson was called up to Atlanta on August 16, 2016. In a 10–3 loss to the Minnesota Twins, he made his MLB debut on the day, hitting his first two major league hits, both singles. Swanson's first home run in the second inning of a 9–7 loss to the Washington Nationals on September 6, was inside-the-park: the batter went over Trea Turner and ricocheted off the center field fence, and Swanson beat Bryce Harper's throw home to record the run. It was the first inside-the-park home run for the Braves since Wes Helms in 2001, and Swanson was the first Brave since Paul Runge in 1985 to have his first home run fall outside the park. He stayed with the Braves through the remainder of the 2016 season, posting a.302 batting average, three home runs, 17 RBI, and 11 extra-base hits. In 25 of the 38 games in which Swanson participated, he had at least one hit.

Swanson was the only rookie to make the Braves' 2017 Opening Day roster, joining Chase d'Arnaud, Freddie Freeman, Adonis Garcia, Jace Peterson, and Brandon Phillips in the infield. Swanson started the season with a.185 on-base plus slugging (OPS), but he had also committed 11 errors at shortstop, and he was also struggling defensively: by the end of May, he was hitting.185 with a.559 on-base plus slugging (OPS). His infield struggles coincided with Johan Camargo's arrival, as both of whom provided offensive assistance to the infield. Camargo had dominated the majority of playing time at shortstop, while the Ozzie Albies had just been promoted to a major league position. Swanson was drafted to the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers on July 27, where he would get more regular playing time. He had been hitting.213 with six home runs and 35 RBI in 95 games at the time. In addition,, he only had three hits in 25 at bats after the All-Star break. Swanson surpassed.237 in 11 games for Gwinnett, with one home run and five RBI. After Camargo sustained a knee injury during his pre-game workout, he was summoned back to the Braves on August 9. Swanson resurrects his shortstop career in Atlanta, batting.337 with a.434 OBP in the month after replacing Camargo. He and Albies, who are now playing second base, formed a solid middle infield tandem. Swanson hit.233 in 144 games and 488 at bats in his first full season in Atlanta.

Swanson started the 2018 season on a hot streak, scoring multiple hits in four of the Braves' first six games. He began suffering pain in his left wrist early in April, and after exacerbating the injury during a game against the New York Mets, he was placed on the 10-day disabled list on May 4. The injury occurred in tandem with a sudden decrease in offensive power from Swanson: after batting.358 with a.976 OPS in his first 16 games, he dropped to batting.191 with a.468 OPS in the next 12. Swanson returned to the Braves' lineup on May 19 after a recovery game in Double-A. He suffered through the majority of the season, batting.234 with a.704 OPS between June 1 and August 21, which culminated in Swanson's first career multi-home run game. He scored another home run against reliever Michael Feliz in the seventh innings, helping the Braves win 6–1. In August, he broadened his batting lineup and displayed some improvement, batting.297 with six home runs between August 11 and September 2, but in September, he hit only.161 in September.

Swanson played against the New York Mets in the second inning with wrist pains, but it was later discovered that his left hand had been partially torn, ruled out for the remainder of the season. He started to feel pain after and was banned from participating in the 2018 National League Division Series (NLDS). Rather, Charlie Culberson was called on to play at shortstop during the Braves' postseason run. In the four game NLDS, the Braves lost, but Swanson's hand and wrist pounded him until November 5, when he underwent surgery to cut a piece of cartilage. The cartilage had been bouncing around his wrist, and Swanson described the situation as "like if you would smash a wedge doorstop into a door." Swanson batted.238 with 14 home runs and 59 RBI in 136 games, while defensively he improved from 7.7 Defensive Runs Saved in 2017 to 10.

Swanson displayed a fresh offensive presence in 2019 spring training, giving boss Brian Snitker hope that his output would rise with his wrist not bothering him. Swanson's 13 home runs were one shy of his previous high, as well as his exit velocity, launch angle, and hard-hit rate at the plate all increased from the previous season. Swanson was batting.270 with 17 home runs and 57 RBI by the All-Star break. Swanson landed awkwardly on first base trying to run out a ground ball in a game against the Kansas City Royals on July 23, injuring his left heel in the process. Swanson initially seemed minor, but he suffered a setback at the start of August, and after three weeks on the injured list, he described the heel as "a frustrating injury." He was activated from the injured list on August 26, just over a month after suffering the injury. He struggled to recover from the injury, batting only.141 in his first 23 games back from the injured list, but he had eight hits in four games. Swanson batted.251 with 17 home runs and 65 RBI in 545 plate appearances during the 2019 regular season.

Swanson was called to the Atlanta Braves' roster after missing the previous year's postseason, where they met the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2019 NLDS. Swanson tied the game 1-1 in the ninth innings of Game 3. Adam Duvall made the playoffs by hitting the ball with a two-RBI single, and Mark Melancon held the Cardinals scoreless in the bottom of the ninth to win the game 3–1. The Cardinals went on to win the series, but the Braves took the Braves out by 13–1 in Game 5 to eliminate Atlanta from the playoffs. During his first postseason appearance, he was 5-for-18 at the plate, with two RBI and three runs scored.

Swanson decided to a one-year, $3.15 million contract extension with the Braves on January 10, 2020. He got off to a promising start in the 2020 season in July but was cut to 60 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Braves began their abbreviated season with a three-game series against the New York Mets, in which Swanson went 5-for-12 at the plate with a double, a home run, and six RBI. On August 17, he scored his first walk-off home run, leading the Braves to a 7-6 victory over the Washington Nationals. Swanson was one of three Braves scorching the Miami Marlins' 29–9 victory on September 9, beating them by a franchise record for the most runs in a single game. Austin Riley and Adam Duvall each scored five runs. Swanson appeared in all 60 games of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, hitting career highs with a.274 batting average,.345 on-base percentage, and.464 slugging percentage while also posting 10 home runs and 35 RBI. His 49 runs were the third in MLB, behind teammate Freddie Freeman's 51 and Fernando Tatis Jr.'s 50. Swanson said that playing in empty ballparks "felt like backyard baseball a little bit," and that a lack of spectator distractions led players to "feeling safe in their own skin" early in the season.

In the 2020 NLDS, the Braves met the Miami Marlins as division rivals. For the first time since 2001, Swanson's five RBI in a three-game series were the most of any Brave shortstop in a Division Series, while Atlanta advanced to the National League Championship Series (NLCS) for the first time since 2001. In seven games, the Braves lost the 2020 NLCS to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Swanson cost the team a potential scoring opportunity on a fourth-inning baserunning error. He broke for home plate on a ground ball from Nick Markakis and was trapped in a rundown by third baseman Justin Turner and catcher Will Smith. Smith tagged Swanson out and then threw the ball back to third base, where Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager tagged out Austin Riley, who had been trying to advance from second base during Swanson's rundown. At the time of the double play, the Braves had been leading 3–2, but they eventually lost the game 4–3.

During the 2020-21 offseason, Swanson applied for salary arbitration, but arbitrators denied his offer to make $6.7 million the following year, instead deciding that his salary would be $6 million. He started the 2021 season in a slump, hitting only.209 with a.311 OPS and 31.4 percent strikeout rate by May 20, but the strikeout rate picked up in May with four home runs in a 13-game stretch. Both Swanson and his middle infield partner Ozzie Albies had their 500th hits of their MLB careers on June 3. Swanson's run was the longest ever recorded during his time with the Braves, 440 feet (130 m). Swanson earned his first major league grand slam over Matt Moore of the Philadelphia Phillies in a 7–2 win in Atlanta on July 22, his first big league grand slam in history. It was his 17th home run of the season, tying Swanson's record high. He took another grand slam against the Milwaukee Brewers' John Curtiss. Swanson had hit a two-run home run earlier this season, giving him 20 runs for the most shortstop in one season, beating Denis Menke for the most. Swanson's next home run, against the Washington Nationals on August 13, set a single-season home run record for any Braves shortstop. He appeared in 160 games in the 2021 regular season, the most of anyone in the National League, and batted.248 with 27 home runs and 88 RBI in 588 at bats.

On September 30, 2021, the Braves clinched the NL East for the fourth straight season, with a 5–3 victory over the Phillies. Swanson was instrumental in the success, with two doubles, a home run, and five RBI in the last six games before the Braves clinched the championship. In Game 3 of the 2021 NLDS, Swanson's defensive skills were on display against the Brewers, first by blocking runners from entering on a groundout from Lorenzo Cain and then turning a ninth-inning double play to dismiss Jace Peterson and Willy Adames. In the four-game series, he was less efficient at the plate, going only 3-for-15. In Game 1 of the 2021 NLCS, the Braves defeated the Dodgers by a 2–2 draw in the ninth inning. Austin Riley's walk-off RBI single won the game 3–2. During the six-game series, his offensive woes continued, with just two hits in 23 at bats. Swanson was only hitting.225 in the postseason by Game 4 of the 2021 World Series, and he had mostly gone hitless by game 4. He did hit a 95 mph (153 km/h) fastball from Houston Astros reliever Cristian Javier in the seventh inning for a game-tying home run. Atlanta beat Atlanta 3–2, taking them one game closer to their first championship appearance since 1995. Jorge Soler's home run brought them a 3–2 victory. With the Astros down 7–0 in Game 6, Swanson took the final out of the game to give the Braves the World Series championship crown.

Swanson's salary for the 2022 season was determined by arbitration. He applied for and was paid $10 million. Swanson was voted a reserve to the 2022 Major League Baseball All-Star Game roster in 2022. Swanson scored his 100th home run off of New York Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom on September 30, 2022. Swanson was the only one in Major League Baseball to start all 162 games of the season.

International career

Swanson starred USA Baseball at Haarlem Baseball Week in the Netherlands in 2014. Swanson led the team with a.458batting average in 24 at bats in his first six starts. With a 6–3 win over Japan, the US team earned the gold medal, and Swanson continued to participate in the team's Cuban tour, in which they were swept by the host team. He had 66 at bats for Team USA, placing second on the team with a.288 batting average.

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