Atlanta Braves Lineup 2017: Where Does Dansby Swanson Hit?
By Tim Boyle
Where will Dansby Swanson find himself hitting in the 2017 Atlanta Braves lineup?
Dansby Swanson is one of the best stars in the MLB. The 2015 first overall draft pick got a taste of the big leagues last year with the Atlanta Braves and delivered throughout the 38 games he played. One thing Swanson failed to do was truly establish where in the Braves lineup he belongs. In 2017, he should get this opportunity.
Swanson is not an ideal leadoff hitter. Speed is no specialty of his. He’s also too unproven. Swanson is also not someone we should expect to hit for much power. So, batting in the middle of the order doesn’t look perfect either.
However, Swanson is too good to hit at the bottom of the Braves lineup. He hits for good average and has decent enough pop where placing him among the best hitters is a necessity.
It was somewhat surprising that Swanson got the bulk of his at-bats for the 2016 Braves in the eighth spot. Regardless of this placement away from the action, Swanson thrived. He was a .333 hitter when placed eighth in the Braves lineup. He received his RBI opportunities and made the most of them.
Still, just because he hit so well hitting in front of the pitcher at the bottom doesn’t mean Swanson should remain there. The 2017 season should be one where he has the opportunity to contribute a little bit more and hit in a place with more life.
Two certainties in the Braves lineup for 2017 is that we’ll see Ender Inciarte at the top and Freddie Freeman hit in the middle. Almost a definite, Inciarte is the leadoff hitter with Freeman hitting third. There’s little to argue about Swanson getting a place over either of those two established big league players. Inciarte has the speed Swanson lacks and Freeman is one of the best hitters in baseball.
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The other spots aren’t as conclusive. Matt Kemp is most likely the clean-up hitter. Despite his decline, Kemp can hit with power and drive in runs. As for Nick Markakis, he looks practically locked in as the number five hitter when everyone is healthy. This is partly to avoid a lineup of three lefties at the top. This means a right-handed hitter will need to slot in as the number two hitter. Could it be Swanson?
The remaining players the Braves have projected to start are third baseman Adonis Garcia, catcher Tyler Flowers, and second baseman Sean Rodriguez. Rodriguez figures to play several positions next season as their bargain Ben Zobrist. It’s tough to imagine he has the kind of year he did in 2016 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Nevertheless, he is a good hitter that could outplay Swanson at the plate this season. In the case of Flowers, he has his spot at the bottom of the lineup reserved.
Before Rodriguez gets his crack at batting second, Garcia figures to have the advantage. He received 47 starts in 2016 batting second. He hit very well as the number-two hitter, too. However, Garcia has decent power which the Braves might desire more lower in the order to help clear the bases. This strength of Garcia might be all Swanson needs to find his place hitting second in the Braves lineup.
For whatever it’s worth, Swanson was remarkable last year with the Braves when leading off an inning. In his 39 plate appearances he hit 2 home runs and slashed .389/.436/.611. This doesn’t mean they should jump ahead and bat him leadoff. It also doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll continue to hit at this rate. Nonetheless, Swanson showed he has potential to start rallies. Putting a guy like this in as your number two hitter is a good start to winning on the field.
Swanson still has a long way to go before taking over as one of the best hitters in the Braves lineup. If he can continue to draw walks and cut down on the strikeouts, he’ll be in pretty good shape. All he needs are the opportunities. The higher he bats in the order, the more he’ll receive.
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The Braves have very little to lose by putting Swanson second in the lineup. If he struggles, they can adjust. If he punishes pitchers, his confidence grows and the Braves have accelerated their prized young star’s prosperity.