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Dbacks Select Dansby Swanson in the MLB Draft

By Guillermo Salcido |

The Dbacks have added a new face to their next generation of ball players. Arizona has selected Dansby Swanson with #1 overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft. Swanson joins Justin Upton as the only #1 overall picks in franchise history. The 22-year old may have a shorter path to the majors because of his outstanding power for a middle infielder.

Dansby has actually been selected in the MLB Draft before. The Colorado Rockies selected him out of high school in the 38th Round (1158th overall) of the 2012 edition. The Marietta, Georgia resident decided to go to school at Vanderbilt instead. After having an insignificant Freshman season, Swanson started to break out during his Sophomore season.

During the National Championship season, Swanson hit .333 with 3 homers and 34 RBI. He slugged a .475 percentage. Swanson also stole 22 bases. He ranked 9th among the nation in hits (94). Swanson led the entire country with 27 doubles. After the Vanderbilt Commodores took home the College World Series, Swanson was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

Swanson has picked up right where he left off and it has really ascended his draft stock. So far in 2015, Swanson is hitting .350 with 15 home runs and 62 RBI. Immediately, one can see an improvement. Those nation-leading doubles are starting to translate into long balls. His slugging percentage has risen to over .650 and already has more total bases than last season. Swanson has also scored 74 runs and stolen 16 bases.

Jun 24, 2014; Omaha, NE, USA; (Editor

We spoke to Dbacks Scouting Director, Deric Ladnier, via conference call.

“This is very proud moment of the organization to be able to select Dansby Swanson, an exceptional baseball player that has all of the intangibles and makeup of a championship-type player for which this organization is building a foundation on.”

Arizona should understandably be excited about Swanson. The infield could be set for the next few years with Paul Goldschmidt, Chris Owings/Nick Ahmed, Jake Lamb and Swanson. Swanson has the ability to be an outstanding offensive talent at a position where offense comes at a high premium.

If you’d like to get a sneak peak at the future, Swanson has led Vanderbilt to another appearance in Omaha and will be defending the school’s National Championship in the College World Series next weekend. He’ll receive plenty of the national spotlight when he’s featured on ESPN during those games.

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