Dodgers’ Eriq Swan Dazzles In Second AFL Outing
Phillies righthander Andrew Painter is the only pitcher currently in the Arizona Fall League who ranks on Baseball America’s Top 100. If Dodgers righty Eriq Swan pitches in 2025 like he did on Thursday night, he might find his way onto the list one day soon. Swan was Los Angeles’ supplementary fourth-round pick in 2023, out of Middle Tennessee State. In his draft season, Swan’s fastball averaged 98 mph and touched 102 mph, making it the hardest pitch of its kind in the country with a minimum of 100 pitches thrown. He mixed it with firm changeup and a sharp slider, but his command was poor and hitters in Conference USA found contact and impact easy to come by.
On Thursday, he showed those same three pitches as well as a hellacious cutter in the high 80s, just a couple of ticks hotter than his slider and with hard, late bite. His four-seam fastball sat in the mid 90s and peaked at 98, while his changeup hovered around the low 90s. By the time his night was over, Swan had spun three shutout innings with just an infield single on his ledger. He struck out five, walked nobody, struck out five and got 11 swings and misses—three on his changeup and four apiece on the slider and cutter. He also averaged more than 6.5 feet of extension thanks to his 6-foot-6, long-armed frame.
After two outings, Swan has now gone six innings while allowing one run on three hits while striking out 10 and walking nobody.
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