Pirates promoting catcher Henry Davis, the 2021 No. 1 overall pick, to majors for debut

When the Pittsburgh Pirates returned Henry Davis to Double-A Altoona to start the season, the 2021 MLB Draft No. 1 overall pick promised to channel his frustration into his play and force their hand.

“If you let that control how you play, and if you let that control your conduct, shame on you,” Davis said in April. “But, if you say, ‘You know what? I’ll show them, and I’m going to work as hard as I can to be so good that there’s no choice but for me to be in Pittsburgh,’ I think that’s a great attitude.”

Davis did his part, so the Pirates are promoting the 23-year-old catcher to the major leagues and he is expected to make his debut Monday against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park. Pirates manager Derek Shelton confirmed the move in an interview on the AT&T SportsNet postgame show after Sunday’s 5-2 loss at the Milwaukee Brewers.

“We’re planning on Henry coming up (Monday). He’ll be in the big leagues,” Shelton said. “I’m excited. He deserves to be here. I think he’s shown that. He’s pushing.”

It’s happening. pic.twitter.com/JtLxCNT5NE

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) June 18, 2023

A 6-foot, 220-pounder, Davis is the No. 3 prospect in the Pirates system. He is ranked the No. 35 overall prospect by Baseball America and No. 44 by MLB Pipeline.

Davis was promoted to Triple-A Indianapolis on June 4, and he slashed .286/.432/.514 with three doubles, one triple, one home run and three RBIs with 11 strikeouts and eight walks in 10 games there.

The excitement of Davis’ debut could be designed to offset the disappointment of a six-game losing streak that saw the Pirates get swept in back-to-back series by the NL Central Division rival Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers. The Pirates scored only 17 runs in the six games, and Shelton bemoaned their inconsistency at the plate.

Before the game, Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said on his weekly radio show on 93.7 FM that the baseball operations department was willing to look anywhere for immediate help.

“If there is a player in our organization, whatever level they’re at, pretty much, if we believe and have evidence to believe that that player gives our major-league team a better chance to win games, there’s nothing that’s going to stand in the way of us making that move,” Cherington said. “We will not be afraid of adding players from the minor leagues, but we have to start with the question of, ‘Is there a role on the team? What is it? What is the impact of making that move? And do we believe that he gives us a better chance to win a game tonight?’ If all that lines up, we’ll see more players.”

The next question is this: Where will Davis play?

Shelton said the Pirates are keeping starting catcher Austin Hedges and backup Jason Delay on the active roster, which could rule out Davis going behind the plate.

“We’ll be using him in different ways,” Shelton said. “That’s what we’re planning on right now.”

Davis is considered raw at catcher, his primary position, but he started 13 games in right field (seven at Altoona and six at Indianapolis) and could see time there, given the recent struggles of Connor Joe and Josh Palacios. Davis also could be used as a designated hitter, if the Pirates decide to play veteran Andrew McCutchen in right field.

If there’s a concern with Davis, it’s that he is being fast-tracked. Scouts privately have expressed concerns about his ability behind the plate, and he has played only 82 games above High-A. An oblique injury shortened his first season after eight games, and Davis was sidelined for two months last summer with a fractured left wrist.

Davis was surpassed in prospect rankings by fellow catcher Endy Rodriguez, who started at High-A Greensboro, finished at Indianapolis and was named the Pirates’ minor league player of the year. With Rodriguez returning to Indianapolis to start the season, the Pirates placed Davis at Altoona so both could serve as their team’s primary catcher and get more work behind the plate instead of splitting duties.

Davis was dominant in Altoona, where he had a .284/.433/.547 slash line with seven doubles, a triple, 10 home runs, 27 RBIs with seven stolen bases in 41 games and had almost as many walks (32) as strikeouts (35).

The Pirates have had mixed results with developing their catchers selected in the first round. Jason Kendall, drafted No. 23 overall in 1992, jumped from Double-A to the Pirates in 1995 and was an All-Star as a 22-year-old rookie. Neil Walker, the No. 11 pick in 2004, switched to third base before he reached Triple-A and spent parts of three seasons at Indianapolis before making it to the majors as a second baseman. He finished fifth in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2010.

Tony Sanchez, the fourth overall pick in 2009, played in 313 games over four seasons at Indianapolis and in only 51 games over three seasons as a backup with the Pirates. Reese McGuire, selected 14th overall in 2013, was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays while in Double-A and has spent six seasons in the majors.

After getting 428 plate appearance in 109 games at Louisville, Davis had 518 plate appearances in 118 games in the minor leagues. By comparison, 2019 MLB Draft No. 1 overall pick Adley Rutschman had 821 plate appearances in 185 games at Oregon State and 780 plate appearances in 180 games in the minors before being promoted to the Baltimore Orioles last May.

The Pirates were counting on Davis to become a franchise cornerstone when they took him with the top pick in 2021, so he’s used to being in the spotlight.

“That’s a lot of pressure on a player, to bear that cross of (being) 1-1,” Pirates farm director John Baker said last May, when Davis debuted at Altoona. “You always have to perform. So it’s gonna be fun to see how he responds. If you’re going to be a really good major-league player, you’re gonna be under a lot of pressure all the time. And I would say from my experience with Henry that he’s really looking forward to it.”