OXON HILL, Md. – Dansby Swanson has played less than two months in the big leagues, but the Braves shortstop was so impressive that manager Brian Snitker is confident he could handle the responsibility and potential pressure that goes with hitting second.
“Absolutely,” Snitker said Wednesday during the manager’s media session at the Winter Meetings. “I think Dansby can pretty much handle anything we throw at him after what I witnessed.”
Snitker reiterated what he’d said late in the season – he’s leaning toward batting Swanson in the 2-hole in 2017, Ender Inciarte and ahead of sluggers Freddie Freeman and Matt Kemp.
Swanson’s bat control, speed, strike-zone recognition and high average and on-base percentage make him a seemingly far better fit for the second spot than free-swinging Adonis Garcia, who performed admirably in the role last season despite being miscast. Snitker wants to bat Garcia lower in the order, giving him more chances to drive in runs.
Swanson was called up from Double-A on Aug. 17, just over 14 months after being the No. 1 overall selection in the June 2015 draft. He lived up to the hype right away and hit .302 for the Braves with 11 extra-base hits (three home runs), a .361 on-base percentage and .442 slugging percentage in 145 plate appearances over 38 games..
The former Marietta High School and Vanderbilt University star totaled 129 at-bats, one shy of a threshold that would’ve cost him his rookie status for 2017 if he’d crossed it. So he’s still a rookie, but Swanson, 22, seems mature beyond his years, both on and off the field.
“Just the person he is, the make-up, the confidence — that kid is a baseball player,” Snitker said. “He jumped in there at the end. And we talked about when we hit him eighth and that’s tough for a young guy, but shoot, he adjusted, adapted. And he’s asking all the right questions, too.”
Swanson had at-bats in six different spots in the order including 90 in the eight-hole, a difficult spot for a lot of hitters because they see fewer good pitches to hit with the pitcher batting behind them. Swanson thrived in the role, batting .333 with five doubles, two homers and a .380 OBP.
He hit second for the first and only time in the big leagues during the last week of the season, in a Sept. 29 game against the Phillies. Swanson went 1-for-3 with a home run and a walk in that game, part of a four-week closing flourish in which Swanson hit .351 with nine extra-base hits (three homers), 13 RBIs and a .976 OPS in his final 23 games.
“(Hitting him second) is something I will talk to the guys about and we will get a feel for it in spring training and see where we’re at,” Snitker said. “I feel right now — ask me today, yeah, I feel very comfortable about him there.”
Garcia was a last-resort option in the 2-hole, after others struggled there early in the season. But he got comfortable and batted .285 with 11 doubles and six homers in 207 at-bats in the spot, albeit with a mere .318 on-base percentage.
Still, Garcia’s OBP was 39 points higher than any of the other five Braves who had 60 or more at-bats in the 2-hole. The Braves were last in the National League with a .290 OBP from 2-hole hitters and tied for last with a .242 average.
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