Dansby Swanson Appears to Have Rediscovered Power Stroke
Whether fans are willing to realize it or not, Dansby Swanson has been a fantastic player for the Cubs. He’s put up a team-leading 9.6 fWAR during his time in Chicago (18th in MLB since 2023), hitting 42 home runs with 157 runs batted in. He also leads all of MLB with 39 outs above average and he’s eighth with 26 defensive runs saved, all while playing through nagging injuries each of the last two seasons.
Swanson spent seven years in Atlanta, playing in 827 total games and twice playing at least 160 in a season. He hit 102 home runs with the Braves, putting up a .417 slugging percentage with a .162 ISO. However, that power hasn’t been as prevalent during his time in Chicago. He hit 22 home runs in 2023, the third most of his career, but only sent 16 balls out of the park last year.
Small sample size alert, but a .474 slugging percentage with a whopping .263 ISO so far in 2025 is quite impressive. Playing elite defense is a key part of Swanson’s game, but hitting for power makes him elite. He drove in four runs in Tuesday’s win over the Rangers, two of which came on a big single to take the lead in the 8th inning.
Clutch knock, Dansby! pic.twitter.com/pzUUdKjfnF
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 9, 2025
As great as clutch singles are, we’re here to talk about Swanson’s increased pop. As Marquee Sports Network broadcaster Alex Cohen pointed out on Tuesday, the shortstop’s fourth home run this year came almost a month earlier than in 2024. His expected slugging is .583, an increase of 167 points from last year, a product of his exit velocity going from an average of 89.4 mph to 91.6 mph in the early going. That in turn leads to a hard-hit rate of 51.1%, up from his previous best of 46.1% in 2022.
The cold simply does not bother Dansby 💣 pic.twitter.com/XgZlXZ2ywJ
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) April 9, 2025
Some might look to his use of the infamous torpedo bat as the underlying cause for these jumps, but Swanson is striking out at an 18.5% rate, almost six points less than last season and more than three points better than his previous low. He’s also walking at roughly the same rate as last year, slightly better than his career average. Regardless of the bat he’s using, the secret seems to be that Swanson’s plate approach and barrel control are elevating his offense.
It’s only a small fraction of the season and odds are he won’t maintain this level of power throughout the season, but conditions haven’t necessarily been conducive to hitting thus far. Regardless, it’s clear Swanson is squaring the ball up and producing quality plate appearances for this red-hot lineup. That’s all you can ask for, especially when he keeps making even the toughest plays at short look effortless.
