December 22, 2020

Heading into 2020, Dansby Swanson was considered a potential 20-20 sleeper due to a solid 2019 campaign ultimately derailed by a heel injury. Swanson did not disappoint in 2020. He finished with a .274/10/35/49/5 line in 237 at-bats. These numbers, extrapolated over the course of a full season (assuming 500 at-bats), roughly translated to a 21 home run, 74 RBI, and 11 stolen base campaign. Swanson's .274 batting average and .809 OPS were career-highs supported by a 1.3% increase in his overall barrel rate and a 31.7% line drive rate (6% higher than MLB average). In addition, while his overall exit velocity slightly declined, his percentage of 100 mph fly-balls dramatically jumped from 31.3% in 2019 to 35.8% in 2020. He also maintained an average exit velocity of greater than 106 mph on his top-5% hardest-hit balls in the air. These numbers not only supported Swanson's 2020 HR production but also suggest improvement in 2021. Grossly undervalued heading into drafts last season, Swanson has a much higher ADP of 103.69 for the upcoming 2021 campaign. With elite speed in the top 10% in all of baseball in 2020, Swanson is a true 25-20 threat for managers who roster him. Hitting in a potent Braves lineup, Swanson should also see an uptick in runs and RBI opportunities in 2021, providing top-100 value.--Nick Ritrivi - RotoBaller