ATLANTA -- As Dansby Swanson was repeatedly humbled while enduring inevitable growing pains and suffering through what some might have considered a sophomore slump, it was important to remember the Braves' young shortstop was experiencing just his second full season at the professional level.
Swanson's stock rose when he tasted immediate success upon his accelerated rise to the Majors in 2016, and then dipped last season as opponents took advantage of the chance to exploit the tendencies of a young player. But the Braves have remained confident in Swanson's capability to live up to the great expectations that were set when he was selected with the first-overall selection in the 2015 MLB Draft.