Catching Prowess: Pirates Welcome Henry Davis With First Overall Pick
Heading into the first round of the MLB Draft on Sunday, there were several names swirling as to who the Pittsburgh Pirates would take #1 overall. Marcello Mayer, Jordan Lawler, and Jack Leiter were the most heard names as to who the team would pick. However, Ben Cherington was very close to the best and gave no indication as to which way he was going. As 7:00 pm Sunday rolled by, Cherington and his team made their decision, and the Pittsburgh Kid Neil Walker was there to meet their pick. They ended yo going with 21-year-old catcher Henry Davis from Louisville. He was considered the best offensive player available in this draft and was ranked #5 overall by MLB Pipeline.
During his junior season at Louisville, he hit an impressive .370 with 15 home runs and 48 RBI in 50 games played this season. With the pick, Davis becomes the second catcher drafted number one overall in the last three years, after Adley Rutschman was taken #1 overall by the Orioles in 2019. He is also the second catcher from Louisville who got drafted in the first round, after current Dodgers catcher Will Smith. The Pirates as an organization have no catching depth aside from Endy Rodriguez in Low-A Bradenton. Davis adds another strong offensive bat to the system and is the second season in a row where Ben Cherington has taken the best offensive player available. Today, we look back at Davis's 2021 season and how he will make an impact on his new organization.
Bring On The Offense
The big part of his game that Davis is known for is his offensive ability, but that hasn't always been the case. When he was being scouted by Louisville, he was considered as a defensive first catcher. However, after working with his coaches, he has shown that his offense is now a big part of his game. His .370 average was the second-best of his career, behind his .372 mark during his sophomore season. However, one thing that has begun surfacing just this season is his raw power ability. After hitting just six home runs over his first two seasons, he hit 15 home runs during his junior season. He has a 55 hit grade and a 55 power grade on MLB Pipeline's 20-80 grading scale, and a lot of his success is because of the eye that he has shown at the plate.
When you think of a power hitter, you think of someone who usually strikes out a lot. However, that is not the case with Davis as he has shown a great eye at the plate throughout his college career. He has a career strikeout rate of 10.6% and had a 10.5% strikeout rate during his Junior season. He also has a great understanding of the strike zone and drew more walks than strikeouts for the second year in a row. He had a walk rate of 13.5% this season, and he led Louisville with his 31 walks this season. If he can continue to show a great eye at the plate and a great understanding of the strike zone, he has the chance to be a star on the offensive side of the ball.
When you move to the defensive side of the ball, the big thing that Davis is known for is his arm. Over his three seasons at Louisville, Davis has cut down 34% of would-be base runners. On the 20-80 scale on MLB Pipeline, Davis's arm grades out as a 70 overall, the best of any of his tools, however, the lowest of any of his tools is his fielding, which comes in at a 45. Scouts say that he has good footwork, and his athletic ability will more than likely keep him behind the plate. His receiving and pitch framing has been his biggest problems, but in both aspects, he has shown improvement this season. He can continue to work on his defensive game as he develops in the Minor Leagues, while his offense continues to shine.
Immediate Impact
Heading into the draft, I wanted the Pirates to take either Davis or Vanderbilt pitcher Jack Leiter. They ended up going with Davis, showing a push to gain more offense, but it also showed me something else. Ben Cherington doesn't see this rebuild as five to six years away, but more like two to three years away. At 21-years-old, Davis is going to start most likely in High-A Ball and should be on a fast track to the Major Leagues. His offensive game is already nicely developed, and if he continues to hit the only thing stopping him is his defensive development. The key now is to work on getting him signed and getting him into game action with the Greensboro Grasshoppers as soon as possible.
As soon as he is signed, look for Davis to jump right in as starting catcher with the Greensboro Grasshoppers. Right now in Greensboro, the two catchers are Grant Koch and Dylan Shockley. Neither of those guys are hitting over the .210 mark, and the Hoppers could add a talented bat to an already star-studded lineup. The only question would be whether or not that Davis could handle some of the Pirate's talented pitchers there. He would have to catch Quinn Priester, Carmen Mlodzinski, and Tanajh Thomas if given the chance. There have been scouts saying he is struggling with receiving, and if he can't receive these pitchers it would hurt not only his development but the development of those pitchers as well.
Davis addresses a big need for the Pirates at the catcher's position and also gives them another power bat to add to their organization. Being that he is 21-years-old, he is going to have to work his way quickly to the top of the organization. As we said before, his offensive skills seem to be there, and as long as he keeps hitting he should be fine in that game. It will be his defensive skills that determine how fast he rises through the Pirates Minor League system. He should be ready by late 2023 or early 2024, putting him as one of the next generation Pirates that hope to bring a winning team back to Pittsburgh.
The MLB Draft continues today with Rounds 2-10 beginning at noon as the Pirates continue to add talent to their system. The second half of the season begins on Friday, July 16th, when the Pittsburgh Pirates (34-56) host the New York Mets (47-40) at 7:05 pm.
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