ATL All Day
Fansided

Atlanta Braves to call up top prospect Dansby Swanson

By Alistair Penny

Mar 17, 2016; Melbourne, FL, USA; Washington Nationals left fielder Matt den Dekker (21) slides as Atlanta Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson (80) fields a ball in the ninth inning at Space Coast Stadium. The Washington Nationals won 9-7. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2016; Melbourne, FL, USA; Washington Nationals left fielder Matt den Dekker (21) slides as Atlanta Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson (80) fields a ball in the ninth inning at Space Coast Stadium. The Washington Nationals won 9-7. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

After trading Eric Aybar, the Atlanta Braves made their most ambitious prospect move of the season. The Braves will promote former #1 overall pick Dansby Swanson to Atlanta.

We mentioned Dansby Swanson a few weeks ago in our call up primer and today, the Atlanta Braves have announced he will make his big league debut on Wednesday. The Metro Atlanta native will be wearing the No. 2 jersey for the Braves. While he got off to an incredibly hot start this season, he’s come back down to earth a bit when it comes to his bat. So far this season, Swanson has been a bit of a streaky hitter. Swanson has often gone 3 or 4 games where he hits over .350 before going the same number of games and hitting .200.

That being said, he’s already a tremendous defensive player and has fantastic leadership intangibles. It’s likely the front office wants to see what he can do on the big stage. Scouts believe that he does have a plus hit tool as well as genuine power for the shortstop position. He also has the capability to hit around 20 HR’s a season once he’s settled in.

More from ATL All Day

Swanson is considered by most to be a top 10 prospect in all of baseball. Despite a fluctuating 2016, keep in mind that he’s only been a professional for a little over a year. Additionally, he has only been in Atlanta since December. Yes, he played three very successful years at college. However, it is extremely rare for teams to promote players all the way up to the majors so quickly. Nevertheless, with Aybar now gone, the Atlanta Braves have a need at short stop.

The Braves also remain the worst team in baseball, so it’s unlikely any early struggles he might have would effect their record. If Swanson is even able to play like an average replacement value player, he would likely be an upgrade. Bringing up such a highly touted prospect is certainly a big risk for a front office. Especially one that has done so many things right when it comes to building up one of the best farm systems in baseball. They have made a lot difficult decisions since 2014, all centered around building a future around players such as Swanson, who they hope can be the next generation of Braves stars.

Next: Atlanta Braves trade SS Erick Aybar to Detroit Tigers

Fans that make their way to the Ted on Wednesday will be hoping to finally get a glimpse of what that future might look like for the Atlanta Braves.

Home/Atlanta Braves