MLB Rumors: Rhys Hoskins replacement, Braves rumors, Dansby Swanson pressure
By Mark Powell
MLB Rumors: Dansby Swanson won’t feel pressure with Cubs
I’m not sure I buy this one.
While Dansby Swanson has dealt with pressure situations before — including winning a World Series in 2021 with the Atlanta Braves — performing up to the level of his $177 million contract in a new city brings with it an increased emphasis on success.
Swanson cannot regress to the mean at the plate. he must perform up to the level of his 2022 season, in which he made his first All-Star team and slashed .277/.329/.447 with a .776 OPS. Baseball-reference and FanGraphs project a step back.
Dansby admitted that he needs to “find his spots in Chicago.” David Ross isn’t worried about Swanson one bit.
“He knows himself really well,” Ross said. “He knows what it takes to win and, if you really look at his journey, there’s been some ups and downs of success and failures to lead him to this point in his life. So he feels very comfortable in his own skin. He’s very vocal about what he does well and the things he needs to prepare to be ready to play.”
Swanson’s used to pressure. But Atlanta pressure is different than Chicago pressure. The media market is sure to bring that out of him, whether he likes it or not.
“Contract or not, I’ve always had a pressure on myself to perform,” Swanson said. “No one’s standards will outpace mine for myself and for our team, so the contract part is not something I really look at in terms of that kind of pressure. That’s just not me.”
We’ll just have to wait and see.