Dansby Swanson remains the only potentially high-impact shortstop available in MLB free agency.
Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts, and Carlos Correa are already off the board, and now there are several teams interested in a shortstop and only one great option in Swanson.
Is he really that great, though?
That’s certainly a question worth asking.
Considering the whole package including hitting, fielding, throwing, running, hitting for power, makeup, poise, experience, youth, and recent performance, he is a great option.
After all, Swanson is 28, rarely misses a game, has been playing on a contender for a long time, hit 52 homers over the last two seasons, can run, is an elite defender, and is a hard worker and a great teammate.
The hitting part, however, he hasn’t been doing it consistently for a long time.
“I’m genuinely fascinated to see what type of contract Dansby Swanson lands. On one hand, he’s an excellent defensive shortstop with solid HR pop at the plate. But he has played five seasons of more than 60 games. His OPS+ those five seasons … 68, 87, 89, 99, 115. Not great,” MLB analyst Ryan Fagan tweeted.
I'm genuinely fascinated to see what type of contract Dansby Swanson lands. On one hand, he's an excellent defensive shortstop with solid HR pop at the plate.
But he has played five seasons of more than 60 games. His OPS+ those five seasons …
68
87
89
99
115Not great.
— Ryan Fagan (@ryanfagan) December 15, 2022
He Turned His Career Around In 2020
His career line is an underwhelming .255/.321/.417 with a 94 wRC+, which is below the league average of 100.
The thing with Swanson, however, is that he started hitting with more authority in 2020.
He posted an above-average 115 wRC+ in the pandemic season, was basically average in 2021 at 99, and finished at 116 wRC+ this past campaign.
Swanson is a good hitter, but he wasn’t always this good and teams may not like that.
Still, anyone who signs him will have an excellent all-around shortstop who can do it all on the field.
Not every man at his position is capable of hitting between 20 and 30 homers annually with Gold-Glove-caliber defense like him.
He will get paid.
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