Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson credited his father for honing his baseball skills from an early age. Swanson said his father foresaw the demands placed upon a contemporary shortstop and therefore drilled him into catching the ground balls early, which he believes has been the key to his success in the major leagues.
Dansby Swanson was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks as the first overall pick of the 2015 MLB Draft, but he was traded to the Atlanta Braves at the end of the year.
He made his MLB debut the following season and spent seven years with the team before joining the Chicago Cubs as a free agent on a seven-year, $177 million contract in 2023.
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On Saturday, Swanson had a chat with former Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves infielder Mark DeRosa at his team's Spring Training camp in Mesa, Arizona. Swanson reflected on his father's influence in developing him into an elite shortstop.
"He was seeing the evolution of the shortstop position and how it was becoming like this dynamic position and how to play it," Swanson said. "That was his challenge for me, and I do the same whenever I talk to other people. Just trust yourself to catch the ball with one hand, and things will work out really well."
Thus far, Swanson has won two Gold Gloves as a shortstop in the National League as well as two selections to the All-Star Game.
Dansby Swanson opens up on practice drills from childhood with his father
During his interview with MLB Network, Dansby Swanson also offered advice for youngsters to improve their defensive skills in the shortstop position. He stated that he used to practice a drill with his father as a kid, which allowed him to develop on multiple aspects of the role.
"If I were to teach people how to take ground balls, the simplest thing I'd do is put every single kid at shortstop," Swanson said. "My dad did this for me growing up. He'd hit me ground balls and basically challenged me to catch every ball on the run. Throw every ball on the run."
"That just taught me so much about angles, being aggressive, not letting the ball come to you, athleticism, and it's more enjoyable that way," he added.
In addition to being one of the finest defensive infielders in the game, Dansby Swanson is also one of the most durable players in any position. He has missed only 30 games over the past five seasons.
