James Dansby Swanson is an American professional baseball shortstop for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball. The Arizona Diamondbacks selected him first overall in the 2015 MLB Draft. Born in Kennesaw, Georgia, to two former college athletes from Troy University, Swanson grew up supporting the Braves.
Swanson was born in Kennesaw, Georgia, to parents Cooter and Nancy (née Dansby) Swanson. Swanson grew up in Marietta with two older siblings, sister Lindsey and brother Chase. Both his father and brother played college baseball, while his mother played college basketball and tennis. Swanson’s sister was a softball player.
Since December 2017, Swanson has been dating Mallory Pugh of the Chicago Red Stars and the United States women’s national soccer team. The couple met through Jace Peterson, who is Pugh’s brother-in-law and a former teammate of Swanson.
He was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 38th round of the 2012 Major League Baseball Draft but did not sign and attended Vanderbilt University. As a freshman, he played in only 11 games due to a broken bone in his foot and a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder.