Dansby Swanson’s Fastball Revival

After a slow start against four-seam fastballs, Dansby Swanson has rediscovered his power.

Early Struggles with the Four-Seamer

Dansby Swanson’s 2024 season got off to a rocky start because he wasn’t hitting four-seam fastballs with the authority we’ve come to expect.

Early in the season, he was getting tied up by those heaters, particularly in the lower-in portion of the strike zone. His expected weighted on-base average (xwOBA) against four-seamers was stuck below .300 going into mid-June—a stark contrast to the shortstop who slugged this pitch in 2023.

Dansby’s average exit velocity against low-and-in fastballs was between 100-105 MPH in 2023, compared to 95-100 MPH early in the season.

The Turnaround

Fast forward to the last month, and it’s like Swanson found his swing again. His xwOBA has surged, climbing to over .450 on his last 25 balls in play. What’s changed? He’s back to crushing those low-and-in fastballs.

The exit velocity tells the story: where he was previously hitting low-and-in fastballs in the 90-95 MPH range, he’s now consistently hitting them at 100-105 MPH—right where he was last year.

Currently, Dansby’s exit velocity against four-seamers is over 95 MPH on average, his best stretch of the season, and well above his aveage from last season.

Takeaway

After a rocky start, Dansby’s back to punishing pitchers in the lower-in part of the zone, just like he did in 2023.