SAN DIEGO – Dansby Swanson slipped on a pair of neon-green and purple high-top spikes that his shoe company (Nike) sent him to wear during batting practice at Sunday’s All-Star Futures Game, and they couldn’t possibly have clashed more with the U.S. team’s yellow and brown Padres-themed uniform.
“And you know how OCD I am about matching my stuff, too,” said Swanson, whose wardrobe during big-league spring training was noticeably tasteful and color-coordinated, even though spring-training work days began around 7 a.m. or earlier and most players aren’t exactly dressing to impress.
When it was pointed out to him that Under Armour and New Balance-sponsored players had shoes that looked pretty sweet with the uniforms, Swanson cracked, “Mine look pretty sweet, too – if I was playing the Joker in Batman,” he cracked.
And with that, he tucked in his jersey and headed through a throng of reporters to the field at Petco Park for batting practice, where dozens more reporters and camera crews were gathered between the dugout and a roped-off area behind the batting cage.
He changed into a pair of black Nikes for the game and went 0-for-3 with a strikeout in three plate appearances before leaving the game when some replacements were made in the sixth inning.
Before catching a flight to San Diego, Swanson got some advice from teammates Ozzie Albies and pitcher Sean Newcomb, who both played in the 2015 Futures Game: “They said, just have fun, see you on Monday.”
Swanson, the former Marietta High School star, was having a productive and enjoyable first full season of pro ball before it got better with Albies’ return to Double-A Mississippi from Triple-A Gwinnett at the end of June, a move made so they could play together in a the middle-infield combo the rebuilding Braves envision as a cornerstone for the future.
“Awesome,” Swanson said. “I found out he was coming back and I was like, OK, that’s funny, quit the B.S. And he was, like, ‘No, seriously, I’m coming back.’ He sent me his plane ticket for proof.”
They became friends at big-league spring training, where Albies often rode to the ballpark with Swanson. They alternated between second base and shortstop, playing together frequently before both were sent to minor league camp.
Albies, in his third year of pro ball, through Saturday played 32 games in Double-A during his two stints this year and had a .386 average with a .998 OPS. One of the youngest players in the Southern League, he’s also one of the very best.
“He’s awesome,” Swanson said. “He’s like my little brother; I can say that because he’s 19, I’m 22. But he’s awesome. I like having him around. Ozzie is the man. I love having him in the lineup. When someone can have that big an impact on the field – everyone loves having him around in the clubhouse and stuff, but obviously it means a lot for the team.”
Swanson, after hitting .333 with a .967 OPS in 21 games at at high-A Carolina to start the season, has fluctuated during 57 games at Mississippi, batting .269 (61-for-227) with a .764 OPS, with 10 doubles, four triples and five homers.
In his last 12 games before the Double-A All-Star break, Swanson hit .146 (7-for-48) with a .470 OBP. In 13 games since the break he’s hit .367 (18-for-49) with a .959 OPS.
“I think one of the biggest things is that I hadn’t played that many games in a row like that,” said Swanson, who has only played 100 minor leagues games over two seasons. “I was playing every day in that heat. The last 2 ½ weeks going into the break, I couldn’t, like, put a ball on a tee and get a hit. Then we got the break and I came back out and have been playing pretty well since then. Just trying to figure myself out more and learn about who I am as a player.”
The Braves waited 2 ½ months to pair him and Albies because they wanted first be sure which one should move to second base from shortstop. Albies was moved to second base last month at Gwinnett. Now that they have their positions and are playing together, they could be promoted together – to Triple-A or straight to the majors in September or sooner.
“You’re building to be successful in the future,” Swanson said. “So whenever it’s right in front of you, it’s obviously hard to not look ahead and say, this is what it could be like. But with that said, it can only be like that if you take care of what’s going on right here in front of you. The biggest thing is everybody’s just trying to take care of their part, and to build this culture and an atmosphere in which winning is expected and being a good teammate is something that means a lot and has a lot of value.”
