Amid a season-long slump and sudden demotion, Dansby Swanson is still smiling.
Somehow.
Demoted to Triple-A Gwinnett on July 27, the Braves’ fallen wunderkind spoke to the media for the first time Wednesday, addressing a new low in what’s been a disappointing campaign for the 23-year-old from Marietta.
By Swanson’s remarks, you wouldn’t know it’s been a difficult summer.
“I think it’s given me a new perspective, just able to figure out a few things about myself and how to slow everything down a little bit better,” Swanson said at Coolray Field before the Gwinnett Braves faced Norfolk. “Kind of take each day as it is and learn and grow from it. I was learning when I was up there (in the majors), but the pace has slowed down a little bit down here and given me a chance to take a step back and move forward from there.”
Swanson was hitting .213 with a .287 on-base percentage in 95 Atlanta games, but was relegated to a bench role in recent weeks with the hot play of rookie infielder Johan Camargo. Swanson hit .302 over 38 major league games in 2016.
A Braves marketing dream since he was acquired from Arizona two winters ago, Swanson has faced several tasks this year, and learning to hit major league pitching becomes a grimmer business when you’re trying to live up to the new face-of-the-franchise designation at the same time.
“I think there’s always pressure wherever you go,” Swanson said. “That’s part of playing this game, and that’s part of what it takes to be successful … being able to deal with that, deal with the adversity. So it’s all been a learning experience. But I’ve definitely grown a lot from it and excited to be able to keep moving forward.”
In Gwinnett, Swanson said the game has slowed down and he is aiming to regain the form that made him such a vaunted prospect.
“It was just about being able to consistently play, kind of develop,” he said. “I’m still pretty young, so to be able to get those consistent at-bats to develop and learn and figure out more and more things about myself, what it takes to be successful. So I’m glad to be able to do that and I’m at peace down here. It’s relaxing. I’ve been enjoying being around the guys and being able to play here.”
The Braves didn’t give Swanson a timeline for his recall, which he said helps both sides, alleviating stress and giving him freedom. He’s watched tapes of his play at Vanderbilt. Freddie Freeman, among other teammates, have encouraged him. He had been working especially hard with third base coach Ron Washington on improving his defense.
“It’s definitely been tough,” Swanson said. “This game is so tough as it is, and then obviously things haven’t exactly panned out as I’d planned going into the year. … You know, having a lot of good people around me, a lot of people have given me good advice. Keeps my faith strong and everything like that.
“So when all that’s going for you, life’s great. It’s just sometimes baseball doesn’t work out how you’d want it to, but it kind of keeps you positive going into each and every day. Whenever you’re able to surround yourself with good people, nothing bad comes with that.”
Swanson’s hit .263 (5-for-19) in his first five Gwinnett games and expects that number to trend upward.
“I’m just trying to become the best version of myself,” he said. “At the end of the day, that’s very, very important. There’s a good cast down here to help me be able to do that. Each day, I feel more comfortable and more confident that I’m going where I need to be going.”
