Swihart is an above-average defender with a plus arm and solid receiving skills who should have no trouble behind the dish. Offensively, however, he’s still a bit of a work in progress. A highly athletic switch-hitter, Swihart oozes potential, but still lacks polish. With a smooth swing, good bat speed and solid plate discipline, Swihart has all the tools to be a successful major league hitter.
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He’s more fluid batting right-handed than he is hitting from the left side, but he should continue to improve his left-handed swing as he gains experience. He can lose his balance and doesn’t fully use his lower half, thus suppressing his power potential. He also can be overly aggressive and will probably be susceptible to chasing offspeed pitches out of the strike zone.
If he makes the opening day roster, temper your expectations for 2015. Sharing time with veterans and adjusting to big league pitching will depress Swihart’s offensive performance as a rookie. He might post league-average numbers for a catcher, but he won’t hit for much power and his counting stats will be limited by playing time.
Long-term, Swihart profiles to be a well above-average offensive backstop who will hit for average and could develop the power to launch 15-plus home runs as he matures. However, it will probably be two or three years before he reaches that ceiling. Consider him only a dynasty/keeper target for now.
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