This week’s Atlanta Braves prospect spotlight focuses on a guy who many people are incredibly high on. As the number one prospect in the organization, he is easily “the guy” in the Atlanta Braves farm system. They call him “Lieutenant Dan”, which has everything to do with him being possibly the best shortstop prospect in the minor leagues. He’s a former preseason All-Conference player in the SEC. He won a College World Series in 2014 with the Vanderbilt Commodores, as well as being named MVP for the CWS. In 2015, he was a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, which is awarded to the best all-around player in College Baseball. Then, the Arizona Diamondbacks selected him with the number one overall pick in the 2015 MLB Amateur Draft.
Who Is Dansby Swanson?
Youth Successes
James Dansby Swanson was born on February 11, 1994, in Marietta, Georgia. He is one of three children of parents Cooter and Nancy Swanson. He played baseball and basketball at Marietta High School in his hometown. The Colorado Rockies selected Swanson in the 38th round of the 2012 draft, but Dansby opted to attend Vandy and play baseball for the Commodores. It turned out to be a great decision. He would pile up a bundle of accolades, including the aforementioned College World Series title in 2014. After being the number one pick in the draft, Dansby set out on his path toward MLB stardom.
Handling the Spotlight
Being the number one pick comes with tons of pressure. The expectations are high, especially if the player is going to a ball club that is not overly successful. After signing a $6.5 million dollar signing bonus, Swanson’s journey didn’t get off to the hottest of starts. He was hit in the face by Yoan Lopez while batting in a simulated game in July of 2015. That injury pushed back his professional debut, which eventually came with the Hillsboro Hops of the Class-A Short Season Northwest League. In twenty-two games, Dansby batted .289 with one long ball, fourteen walks, and eleven RBI. That would be all for his very short-lived career as a prospect in the Diamondbacks organization.
Traded Home
On December 9, 2015, Arizona agreed to a trade with the Braves. Atlanta sent Shelby Miller and Gabe Speier to the DBacks, while receiving Ender Inciarte, Aaron Blair, and Swanson in return. Dansby was coming home, both to Georgia to the Braves. He arrived to an excited fan base that could not believe the Diamondbacks had agreed to such a lopsided deal (a deal that still, in June of 2016, has not even come close to panning out for Arizona). Swanson became the number one player in the Braves organization, and with that, he received an invite to Spring Training in 2016. He would later be cut, along with highly touted prospect Ozzie Albies and a few others.
Life As A Braves Prospect
He began his career with the Braves with High-A affiliate Carolina Mudcats. He hit .333 with a homer and ten runs driven in. On April 30, he earned a promotion to the Double-A Mississippi Braves. His hot start at Mississippi landed him a spot on the Southern League All-Star Team. He racked up two hits in that game.
A Lot To Look Forward To
The sky is the ceiling for Dansby Swanson. Following his success in college, everyone knew he could be something special. Braves fans will forever be thankful that the Diamondbacks gift wrapped Swanson in the winter of 2015. He is a true five-tool player.
After meeting Dansby in Tennessee in a game where the Mississippi Braves were playing the Tennessee Smokies in AA Southern League action, I came away very impressed. In the first of two games I attended, Dansby accounted for the winning run in the 10th inning when he scored on a wild pitch in what would be an eventual 8-7 win for the Braves. The next night, he went 3-4 and was a home run away from the cycle in a 3-2 win vs the Smokies. So take my word for it when I sat that there’s a TON to look forward to.
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