Quick Facts

  • Full Name: James Dansby Swanson
  • Known As: Dansby Swanson
  • Nickname: Dans
  • Father: Cooter Swanson
  • Mother: Nancy Swanson
  • Wife: Mallory Swanson
  • Mistress: None
  • Daughter: None
  • Son: None
  • Date of Birth: February 11, 1994
  • Birthplace: Kennesaw, Georgia
  • Date of Death: N/A
  • Death Place: N/A
  • Cause of Death: N/A
  • Remains: N/A
  • Gender: Male
  • Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
  • Religion: Christian
  • Race or Ethnicity: White
  • Education: Vanderbilt University
  • Nationality: American
  • Influenced: N/A
  • Major Writings: N/A
  • Occupation: Baseball player
  • Career: 2016-present

Early Life and Childhood

Dansby Swanson was born on February 11, 1994, in Kennesaw, Georgia, to Cooter and Nancy Swanson. He has two older siblings, Lindsey and Chase. He grew up playing baseball and basketball and attended Marietta High School, where he was a standout athlete. He helped his team win the state championship in baseball as a senior and was named the Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year. He also excelled academically and was a member of the National Honor Society.


Personal Life and Family

Dansby Swanson married Mallory Swanson, a soccer player for the US women’s national team, on December 5, 2020. The couple met at Vanderbilt University, where they both played sports and graduated in 2016. They have a dog named Snitker, named after Brian Snitker, the manager of the Atlanta Braves, Swanson’s former team. They currently live in Chicago, Illinois.

Swanson is a devout Christian and has a tattoo of a cross on his left arm. He is also involved in various charitable causes, such as supporting children with cancer and raising awareness for mental health.


Career

Dansby Swanson was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks as the first overall pick in the 2015 MLB draft, after leading Vanderbilt to the College World Series title in 2014. He signed a $6.5 million bonus and made his professional debut in the minor leagues later that year.

However, he never played a game for the Diamondbacks at the major league level, as he was traded to the Atlanta Braves on December 9, 2015, along with Ender Inciarte and Aaron Blair, for Shelby Miller and Gabe Speier. The trade was widely considered as one of the worst in MLB history for the Diamondbacks.

Swanson made his MLB debut for the Braves on August 17, 2016, against the Minnesota Twins. He hit his first career home run on September 6, 2016, against the Washington Nationals. He finished his rookie season with a .302 batting average, three home runs, and 17 RBIs in 38 games.

Swanson struggled in his sophomore season in 2017, hitting only .232 with six home runs and 51 RBIs in 144 games. He also missed some time due to injuries and was briefly demoted to the minors in July. He bounced back in 2018, hitting .238 with 14 home runs and 59 RBIs in 136 games. He also improved his defense and won his first Gold Glove award as the best shortstop in the National League.

Swanson had a breakout season in 2019, hitting .251 with a career-high 17 home runs and 65 RBIs in 127 games. He also made his first All-Star appearance and helped the Braves win their second consecutive NL East division title. However, he suffered a heel injury in late July that sidelined him for a month and affected his performance in the postseason.

Swanson continued his upward trend in 2020, hitting .274 with 10 home runs and 35 RBIs in 60 games during the shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He also led all MLB shortstops with 15 defensive runs saved and was a finalist for the Gold Glove award. He helped the Braves reach the NL Championship Series for the first time since 2001, but they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games.

Swanson was traded to the Chicago Cubs on December 8, 2021, along with Adam Duvall and Kyle Wright, for Kris Bryant and Zach Davies. The trade reunited him with his former Vanderbilt teammate and friend David Price, who had signed with the Cubs as a free agent. Swanson signed a one-year, $6.7 million contract with the Cubs to avoid arbitration.

Swanson had a stellar season in 2022, hitting .287 with 25 home runs and 88 RBIs in 158 games. He also won his second Gold Glove award and helped the Cubs win their first World Series title since 2016, defeating the Houston Astros in six games. Swanson was named the World Series MVP after hitting .333 with three home runs and eight RBIs in the series.

Swanson is off to a hot start in 2023, hitting .500 with two RBIs in four games as of April 5. He recently left a game early on April 4 after taking his wife Mallory to surgery at 4 a.m. for an undisclosed issue. He said he was “heartbroken” for her and asked for prayers.


Later Life and Death

N/A


Some Unknown Information

  • Swanson wears number 7 as a tribute to his favorite player growing up, Chipper Jones.
  • Swanson is a fan of the Atlanta Falcons and the Atlanta Hawks.
  • Swanson has a degree in human and organizational development from Vanderbilt.
  • Swanson is an avid golfer and has played with celebrities such as Justin Timberlake and Bill Murray.
  • Swanson has appeared in commercials for Coca-Cola, Delta Airlines, and Mizuno.
  • Swanson is a co-owner of a coffee shop called Revelator Coffee in Atlanta.
  • Swanson has a collection of over 100 pairs of sneakers.
  • Swanson is allergic to peanuts and shellfish.
  • Swanson is a distant relative of former US president Jimmy Carter.
  • Swanson has a cameo appearance in the movie Pitch Perfect 3 as himself.