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To little surprise, the Arizona Diamondbacks selected Vanderbilt shortstop Dansby Swanson with the first pick in the 2015 MLB Entry Draft. Swanson is a 21-year-old junior who is having a huge year for the Commodores.
There have been some concerns that Swanson lacks the range and arm to stick at shortstop in the Majors, but the Diamondbacks clearly think he’ll be able to stay at the position. The 6-foot-1-inch, 190-pound right-hander is highly-advanced with the bat for a middle infielder.
Swanson doesn’t have a ton of power and likely won’t hit over 15 home runs per season, but he projects to be one of the best hitting shortstops in the league once he finds his way to the big league club.
Swanson is one of the safest picks in the entire draft. It’s hard to see him becoming anything worse than an above-average hitting shortstop. The Diamondbacks need all the help they can get, so choosing a player with a high ceiling seems like a wiser decision than taking a risk on a player like a high school pitcher.
