Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 65 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 35 | Overall: 40

Swan was a tall prep shortstop at Oakland High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee but showed flashes of greatness on the mound, including one March 2020 outing in which he sat in the mid-90s. He became a full-time pitcher at Middle Tennessee State after the pandemic, and despite not finding consistent results, he went to the Dodgers with in the fourth supplemental round in 2023. Oblique and arm injuries limited Swan’s first full season before he looked on the brink on a breakout in the Arizona Fall League. Swan was healthy at High-A Great Lakes when the Dodgers traded him to the Nationals in the Alex Call deal at the Deadline. He finished with a 4.42 ERA, 102 strikeouts and 63 walks in 91 2/3 innings at two High-A levels.

Working exclusively out of the stretch and primarily from the first-base side of the rubber, Swan sits 94-97 mph with his four-seam fastball and touches the occasional triple-digits from his high release point. The movement is more ordinary than the velocity, making it less of a swing-and-miss offering. That said, Swan gets heavy whiffs on his low-80s sweeper that wears out the gloveside half of the plate, and it was his primary pitch against righties. A harder upper-80s slider worked as his preferred breaker for lefties, and a grip-and-rip 86-88 mph changeup showed promise for the velo difference but was little used in ’25.

Swan’s walk rates at both Great Lakes and Wilmington were both above 15 percent, a worrying trend as he heads to the upper Minors. He’s simplified his mechanics – thus the removal of his windup – but still can’t get in the zone consistently enough. The new Nationals player-development apparatus might be best set letting him lean on the fastball and sweeper in relief and letting him dominate in shorter bursts.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 65 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 40 | Overall: 40

Primarily a shortstop as a Tennessee high schooler, Swan's fastball velocity jumped about 10 mph into the upper 90s when he became a full-time pitcher at Middle Tennessee State. Though he posted a 6.54 ERA in three seasons with the Raiders, his athleticism and arm strength ranked among the best in the 2023 college pitching class and the Dodgers selected him in the supplemental fourth round. After a strained left oblique and minor arm soreness limited him to 28 1/3 innings in his 2024 pro debut, he was one of the most impressive pitchers in the Arizona Fall League. Swan was at High-A Great Lakes for 2025 when Los Angeles traded him to the Nationals at the Deadline for Alex Call.

While it looks like he's just playing catch, Swan works at 94-97 mph and tops out at 101 with his fastball while maintaining his velocity deep into games. His heater features more downhill plane than life and he has yet to develop consistent command of it, so it can get hit hard when he doesn't locate it well. He also can miss bats with two different sliders, one in the low-80s with more depth and a tighter upper-80s version that can climb to 90 mph.

Swan also will flash some solid upper-80s changeups with interesting fade, though he doesn't use it very often. He's extremely athletic for a 6-foot-6, 240-pounder and works exclusively out of the stretch. But outside of last year’s AFL, he doesn’t have a long history of throwing strikes as a pro. Washington should develop him as a starter for now, but it's more realistic that he becomes an overpowering reliever.

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 35 | Overall: 40 

More of a shortstop than a pitcher as a Tennessee high schooler, Swan has seen his velocity jump about 10 mph since moving to the mound full-time at Middle Tennessee State. He has been unable to maintain consistent success, as evidenced by his 6.54 ERA in three seasons with the Raiders, but his athleticism and arm strength rank among the best in the 2023 college pitching class. He did conclude his junior season with the best three-start stretch of his career, permitting three runs while fanning 18 in 15 2/3 innings. 

Swan looks like he's playing catch while maintaining a 97-99 mph fastball deep into games and topping out at 101. The problem is that his heater features more downhill plane than life and lacks command, and it repeatedly gets hammered when he puts it over the plate. His most effective pitch is a tight mid-80s slider that he locates better than his fastball, and he also can flash some solid upper-80s changeups with nifty fade. 

Swan's father played football at Louisiana State and his mother swam for the Tigers, and he's extremely athletic for a 6-foot-6, 240-pounder. He has a relatively short arm action and upright delivery, but that doesn't explain his struggles to throw strikes. He's more of a project than most college pitchers, but he offers huge upside if a pro team can help him develop better fastball life and control.

Awards

MID Pitcher of the Week

Week	Team
06/08/2025

AFL Rising Stars

Year	Team
2024

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	03/05/2026	RHP Eriq Swan assigned to Washington Nationals Prospects.
	08/05/2025	Wilmington Blue Rocks activated RHP Eriq Swan.
	07/31/2025	Washington Nationals traded RF Alex Call to Los Angeles Dodgers for RHP Sean Paul Liñan and RHP Eriq Swan.
	07/31/2025	RHP Eriq Swan assigned to Wilmington Blue Rocks.
	05/16/2025	Great Lakes Loons activated RHP Eriq Swan from the 7-day injured list.
	05/07/2025	Great Lakes Loons placed RHP Eriq Swan on the 7-day injured list.
	04/16/2025	RHP Eriq Swan assigned to Great Lakes Loons.
	11/08/2024	National League Fall Stars activated RHP Eriq Swan.
	09/25/2024	RHP Eriq Swan assigned to Glendale Desert Dogs.
	07/26/2024	Rancho Cucamonga Quakes activated RHP Eriq Swan from the 7-day injured list.
	07/05/2024	Rancho Cucamonga Quakes placed RHP Eriq Swan on the 7-day injured list.
	06/25/2024	Rancho Cucamonga Quakes activated RHP Eriq Swan from the 7-day injured list.
	06/08/2024	Rancho Cucamonga Quakes sent RHP Eriq Swan on a rehab assignment to ACL Dodgers.
	04/13/2024	Rancho Cucamonga Quakes placed RHP Eriq Swan on the 7-day injured list.
	04/13/2024	Rancho Cucamonga Quakes placed RHP Eriq Swan on the 7-day injured list.
	04/02/2024	RHP Eriq Swan assigned to Rancho Cucamonga Quakes from ACL Dodgers.
	08/03/2023	RHP Eriq Swan assigned to ACL Dodgers.
	08/03/2023	Los Angeles Dodgers signed RHP Eriq Swan.
	06/15/2023	RHP Eriq Swan assigned to College Workout.