"nl mvp not even close" "Hottest man alive" - Atlanta Braves react as Dansby Swanson hits second home run of the day amidst warming All-Star race

The Atlanta Braves have been one of the hottest teams in baseball in the month of June. Entering this month, the Braves were on a 14-game winning streak. The streak was eventually snapped by the Chicago Cubs, but not before climbing to second spot in the National League East.

The Atlanta Braves bats' exploded during the streak and they averaged more than runs per game. One man who has made a huge difference for his team this season has been Dansby Swanson. He was at it again today in the Braves series finale against the San Francisco Giants.

Dansby Swanson lofts 2 jacks as Atlanta Braves keep hot on the trail of the New York Mets

The Braves are now 40-30, and only 4.5 games behind the New York Mets in the NL East. The Braves are the defending World Series champions and have won the NL East four of the past five years.

One reason for the Braves' success has been their shortstop, Dansby Swanson. Apart from stellar fielding, Dansby Swanson has been responsible for some big hits for his team of late.

Over the past month, Swanson has hit .388 with seven home runs and 22 RBIs. Swanson is on his way to his best statistics ever. Fans are noticing.

In his six years playing for the Atlanta Braves, Swanson has never made an All-Star appearance. He has been a workhorse for his team though. Swanson appeared in a league-most 160 games in 2021, meaning he sat out only two games all year.

Today in a game against the San Francisco Giants at Truist Park in Atlanta, Swanson is swinging his bat. His first home run came in the first at-bat of the game off of Giants starter Alex Wood.

Swanson followed it up with another solo shot in the bottom of the fourth to put the Atlanta Braves up by a score of 7-1. As he hit a home run in his last at-bat yesterday, this is his third at-bat with a home run. This game is currently being led by the Braves 7-5 as the 9th inning is set to commence in Atlanta.

Fans are rallying behind Swanson, who has never been an All-Star. The All-Star Game will be held the week of July 18 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California.

About the author

Adrian Dorney is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda. Having worked over five years in the industry, Adrian strives to combine statistical analysis with the human side of baseball reporting. Since a lot of his briefs involve publishing content with urgency, he has perfected a process involving a combination of trustworthy sources and assessment with intuition.

His lifelong tryst with baseball began with growing up in Toronto and watching the Blue Jays regularly. His favorite player is Baltimore Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr., and Jose Bautista's go-ahead home run in 2015 ALDS Game 5 remains his favorite baseball memory to date.

When not working, Adrian is constantly looking to learn new things and he also loves playing golf and chess.

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