Promotion to Pirates comes at a new position for Henry Davis, who gets start in right field

Henry Davis wondered why he wasn’t in the starting lineup Sunday for Triple-A Indianapolis, so he suspected there was an ulterior motive when called in to the office of Indians manager Miguel Perez.

While watching video of how Davis had played the ball off the wall in right field at the Iowa Cubs’ Principal Park, which is similar to PNC Park’s Clemente Wall, Perez asked Davis to get him a bottle of water.

Inside the fridge, Davis found a note: “You’re going to The Show.”

Henry Davis, welcome to The Show.

❤️pic.twitter.com/HkhGrbi1xp

— Indianapolis Indians (@indyindians) June 19, 2023

That’s how the No. 1 overall pick of the 2021 MLB Draft learned he was being promoted to the Pittsburgh Pirates and would be making his major league debut Monday against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park.

Davis was determined not to allow his debut to add any pressure, even though he was fast-tracked to the majors after playing 118 games in the minor leagues, including only 10 games at the Triple-A level.

Davis was supremely confident that he was ready to play for the Pirates, where a white jersey with his favorite number (32) was hanging in a locker situated between fellow Pirates first-round picks Ke’Bryan Hayes (2015) and Connor Joe (2014) in the home clubhouse.

“I think my job is the same whether I was the first pick or the last pick,” Davis said. “If I’m in this locker room, it’s do everything I can to help the team win every day.”

Pirates rookie Henry Davis before his MLB debut, on the pressure to perform as the 2021 No. 1 overall pick. pic.twitter.com/EUryMRbXTD

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) June 20, 2023

The news came with a twist for the Pirates’ No. 3 prospect, ranked in the top 50 by Baseball America and MLB Pipeline: Drafted and developed as a catcher, Davis was going to start in right field.

The Pirates wanted to add his bat to a lineup desperate for a jump start and excitement to a fan base frustrated after they slipped from first place to third in the NL Central after being swept in back-to-back three-game road series against the Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington repeatedly said the priority of the promotion was to give the club immediate help while continuing to develop Davis at his primary position. That’s why the Pirates kept catchers Austin Hedges and Jason Delay and optioned infielder/outfielder Mark Mathias to Indianapolis.

Pirates GM Ben Cherington on the timing of Henry Davis’ major league promotion and expectations for him playing right field instead of catcher. pic.twitter.com/TT8D2qbFsl

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) June 20, 2023

“Henry’s going to catch in the big leagues,” Cherington said. “This is really about giving our team, in the short term, the best chance to win games. We think our catching tandem, with Hedges and Delay, are a big part of our overall improvement this year. We want to honor that and keep that intact and also find a way to improve our team. We think Henry does that for us by playing a different position.”

Cherington and manager Derek Shelton said Davis will play primarily in right field and designated hitter for the Pirates while working behind the scenes at catcher with Hedges and Delay, as well as the coaching staff to learn the nuances of the major league game.

“He wants to win. It’s very important to him and I think we knew that. I mean, from the first conversation I had with him after we drafted, that’s what he said,” Shelton said. “Extremely hard worker, extremely dedicated to his craft. … He’s a guy that can continue to work on multiple positions and get better because of how disciplined he is at it.”

Pirates manager Derek Shelton on Henry Davis handling the pressure of being the 1/1 pick and the buzz created by his MLB debut amid club’s 6-game losing streak. pic.twitter.com/C9TZjs8GbP

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) June 20, 2023

Davis played only 15 games in right field in the minors — eight at Double-A Altoona and seven at Indy — but the Pirates’ belief is that the combination of his arm strength, athleticism and work ethic will allow him to handle the transition to a new position with little difficulty. Davis made a highlight-reel diving catch for Indianapolis last week.

Cherington expressed confidence that Davis will thrive in right field.

“Like he does with anything, he’s gonna dive headfirst into the deep end of the pool with anything that’s in front of him,” Cherington said. “He’s already shown significant improvement since he started doing it, more of it earlier in the year. He’s, obviously, got plus arm strength. We knew that. That’s already played. He’s starting to get more comfortable clearly with his reads. He made a really good play in Indy the other night. It’ll just be about reps if you can combine his athleticism and overall strength and feel for the game with the work that he’s going to put into it, which is going to be at a really high level.”

Related:

• Tim Benz: When it comes to onus of being a No. 1 pick, Pirates say Henry Davis will 'own it and wear it with pride'
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• Henry Davis is a Pirate only 2 seasons after he was drafted in 1st round, but Gerrit Cole beat him by 8 days
• After stranding runners, Pirates searching for spark on offense amid 7-game losing streak

Pirates right fielder Josh Palacios, who played with Davis at Altoona, noted there is a learning curve that comes with playing right field in front of the 21-foot Clemente Wall at PNC Park. Fly balls can be an adventure, as can fielding the caroms that come off the fence.

“There’s definitely some things you’ve got to learn when you come up here,” Palacios said. “I think the biggest part was reading how the ball hit off it. Some of the parts are aluminum, so it comes off really hard. Some of it is chain-link, so it comes off soft. The second-hardest thing is getting used to that short wall in foul territory and learning how to deal with it. I know everybody saw me flip over one time.

“He’s a smart guy. He’s going to adapt pretty quick.”

Before the game, Davis appeared unsurprised that he was making his debut less than two years after getting drafted. His introductory news conference seemed like a distraction for someone who required a crash-course tutorial in right field, couldn’t wait to take batting practice and didn’t seem to have much time or inclination to soak in the stadium atmosphere surrounding his much-anticipated arrival.

“I think that’s the blessing that comes with having a job to do with it,” Davis said. “Definitely thankful to be here. It’s an honor and a privilege, and I appreciate every bit of it.”