What should the Detroit Tigers expect from the No. 1 pick?

2015: Dansby Swanson (Arizona)

The 2015 draft started off with three straight shortstops, led by the Diamondbacks taking Vanderbilt product Dansby Swanson. Swanson made his pro debut that August, hitting .289 in 22 regular season games with Short-Season Hillsboro.

That winter, he was traded to the Braves in a package for right-hander Shelby Miller. Swanson rose through the ranks quickly in the Atlanta organization. In 2016, he was a Mid-Season All-Star for Double-A Mississippi, and he reached the majors in August.

Over the final 38 games of 2016, Swanson hit .302, though he struggled defensively. The defensive struggles continued last year, and his bat cooled off as well. For the year, he slashed .232/.312/.324, and earned a temporary demotion to Triple-A.

Things had seemingly turned back around offensively for Swanson this year. His .289 batting average and other numbers were closer to being in line with his 2016 debut than his down 2017 campaign. However, earlier this month he landed on the disabled list with a thumb injury, halting his progress.

The Verdict

We’re starting to enter the territory where it’s a little early to get a true gage on whether a player was worth the number one pick. In the case of Swanson, he made the majors quickly and has shown glimpses of being a highly productive player. At the very least, he’s on the right track.

As for Arizona, they seem to have squandered their situation. Miller has been alternately injured and ineffective since coming over. Gabe Speier, the minor leaguer the Diamondbacks got in the deal, is at Double-A for the third straight year.

Arizona is off to a great start this year, but one of the positions they could certainly use an upgrade at is shortstop. They would’ve been better off keeping Swanson.