It has been a bumpy road for Dansby Swanson ever since he was rushed to the majors for the final 38 games of the 2016 season. Struggles over the next two seasons had many questioning whether Swanson was in fact the Braves’ shortstop of the future. He has done well in silencing many of his critics over the past two seasons and was on his way to a breakout in 2019 before a foot injury slowed him in the second half.
Swanson put together his best season yet at the plate in 2020 albeit in a 60-game sample. He also reestablished his defensive value and was a finalist for the Gold Glove at shortstop in the National League.
What went right in 2020?
A lot actually! Swanson set career highs in average (.274), OBP (.345) and Slugging percentage (.464). He also posted a career-best 116 wRC+ to go along with 10 home runs and 15 doubles. Swanson carried that production over to the postseason where he put up a 125 wRC+ while adding three more homers, two doubles and triple. His 1.9 fWAR equaled his career-best mark that he set in 136 games in 2018.
Swanson was a finalist for the NL Gold Glove Award at shortstop losing out to the Cubs’ Javier Baez. His defensive metrics were a little all over the place. He led all Major League shortstops with 10 Defensive Runs Saved. However, his UZR was just 0.2 and his UZR/150 was 0.5. Baseball Savant’s Outs Above Average measurement had him at minus-2. All in all, Swanson rebounded defensively after an uneven 2019.
What went wrong in 2020?
Not much actually but the strikeout rate did increase while the walk rate dipped slightly. Swanson put up a career-best .350 BABIP so there was likely some regression coming. He did slip to a .234 average over the final month of the season but his walk rate spiked and he still posted a 110 wRC+ over the final 26 games.
What to expect in 2021:
Swanson has quieted some of the concerns about his standing as the Braves shortstop. Swanson will be arbitration eligible for the second time this winter. Swanson and the Braves avoided arbitration last offseason agreeing on a $3.15 million salary. It is likely that the two sides find common ground again. In a normal season, it would be possible that the two sides would discuss an extension but given the economic uncertainty of the offseason, that may not be likely.
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