Atlanta Braves: Is the starting shortstop debate over now?
By Josh Mathews
With the playoffs coming up, and a few question marks rearing their heads as the Atlanta Braves cruise into the postseason, lineup questions and debates have been a hot topic as of late.
The Atlanta Braves are likely to face the St. Louis Cardinals on October 3, and one of the hottest debates, perhaps is who will start at shortstop.
Will it be the 2015 number one draft pick Dansby Swanson, or will it be a Cuban journeyman in 30-year old Adeiny Hechavarria?
We’ll start this off by clearing the air. Since his struggles in 2017, I just haven’t been the biggest Dansby Swanson fan. I’m a supporter, for sure, like with all of our Atlanta Braves, but I view him as a bit of a disappointment so far.
I was hopeful like everyone else when he came up in 2016 and started off well. I traveled from Richmond, Va. down to the Carolina Mudcats multiple times to see him play in the 30 or so days he was on the roster. A buddy and I even drove out to Birmingham to see him play again that same season when he was with Mississippi.
Dansby is interesting because he comes with the highest expectations of being a #1 draft choice, but so far, he’s been outperformed by a player like Jeff Blauser, a player that was by all rights, pretty good- but not exactly the sexiest name for comparisons.
I’ve been obliterated in Facebook groups a time or two for even making the comparison. But we won’t get into that right now.
Hechavarria is a guy that I’ve watched play in the National League East, and one that’s impressed in a short tenure with the Atlanta Braves thus far.
The stereotypical speed guy with a light bat and a good to great glove. The type of guy that would be a star on a 1980s team in a league that’s not quite so consumed with power.
And I mean, one of my best friends is a New York Mets fan, but there isn’t an Atlanta Braves fan out there that shouldn’t have been smiling when Hechavarria thanked God for not being a New York Met anymore.
With those disclosures out there, here’s a good old, non-bias comparison. Well, maybe not, but I’ll try. This is an opinion-based website, after all.