The Pirates drafted Henry Davis first overall in 2021, in a move that served two purposes.
The immediate decision to draft Davis, a power hitting catcher out of Louisville, came with the idea of adding a safe bat who might be able to hit for power behind the plate in the Majors. This would require Davis to stick at the catching position and maintain his power production. The bigger impact was the bonus pool savings Davis offered, which allowed the Pirates to go over-slot on middle round picks like prep pitchers Bubba Chandler and Anthony Solometo.
Three years later, Davis is getting his shot at starting behind the plate in the big leagues, while Chandler and Solometo are at the Double-A level, pitching out of the rotation as top 100 prospects. The latter half of the reason to draft Davis looks promising. The dream of him being a power hitting catcher doesn’t look as realistic.
Davis was a catcher in Louisville, but there have been concerns about his abilities behind the plate in pro ball. Those concerns continued through his minor league time, where Davis received very little work at catcher, and eventually was moved off the position. The Pirates have Endy Rodriguez, who is a much better defensive catcher, and with just as much offensive potential from a different hitting profile. Rodriguez went down for the season with an elbow injury, creating an opportunity for Davis.
So far, that opportunity has confirmed that Davis can catch, but he grades out largely as a below-average catcher, per Baseball Savant ratings.
Davis ranks 23rd out of 62 qualified catchers this season in blocking. That has been his standout ability, with results that grade slightly above-average. His framing has been well below average, ranking 49th out of 59 qualified catchers. One of the biggest reasons Davis is considered a catcher is due to his elite arm. He has a 1.89 pop time this year, which ranks seventh. However, his effectiveness at throwing out runners has led to him ranking 36th out of 59 qualified catchers in that stat.
Aside from the arm strength, which has led to below-average results, the dream of Davis as a catcher relies on intangible reasons. Specifically, Davis fulfills the lore of a catcher who has a zero non-sense, authoritative approach in managing his pitching staff. This also leads to an interesting tendency that shows with Davis across the board: An unwavering approach to do things his way.
THIS WEEK ON PIRATES PROSPECTS
This week’s featured column for Patreon subscribers looks at the below-average offense of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the idea of replacing hitting coach Andy Haines as a solution.
**Williams: The Pirates Are Severely Lacking on Offense
Jared Jones has been putting up better numbers than any Pirates rookie I can remember for decades. I looked at the early results from the right-hander, who is a Rookie of the Year candidate.
**Jared Jones is Having a Special Start to His MLB Career
The Pirates drafted Henry Davis first overall in 2021, with hopes of getting a power hitting catcher. He’s not hitting for power this year, and grades below-average behind the plate, which might necessitate a change.
**Henry Davis Has Questions on Both Sides of His Game – READING
Paul Skenes is schedule for a two-start week this week, for the first time in his pro career. As the top prospect gets to a regular workload, I look at when he might arrive in the Majors, and how many innings he might throw.
**When Will Paul Skenes Arrive in the Majors?
The Pirates went with Jared Triolo as their starting second baseman out of Spring Training, which was a move that was deserved. After his early results, and early results from Nick Gonzales in Triple-A, they might need to make a change.
**Jared Triolo Looks Like a Major Leaguer, But Not a Starter
Depth is going to be crucial for the 2024 Pirates to have a winning season. They’ve already seen a few players step up to contribute in the Majors. I looked at five depth options who have excelled this year, led by RHP Hunter Stratton.
**Five Depth Options Who Have Excelled For the 2024 Pirates
