Pirates Former No. 1 Draft Pick Needs Time in the Minors

As Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Henry Davis continues to underperform, it’s time to consider a demotion to Triple-A. Davis, the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB June Amateur Draft in 2021, was expected to contribute offensively, especially in the power department, while doing a reasonable job defensively. So far, he’s largely failed at both.

After a promising spring exhibition season where Davis was 13-for-42 with four home runs, his offense has disappeared. After 18 regular season games, he’s hitting just .172/.286/.224. He has yet to hit a home run and has a strike-out rate of 31 percent. He’s batted in the bottom third of the order in all but four games.

Defensively, although his arm is strong, Davis has yet to throw out a runner attempting to steal. His receiving and framing skills have passed the eye test so far. Statcast charges him with a negligible -1 framing run saved. Most perplexing is his habit of catching on one knee, even with runners on base. It prevents him from getting his full body in front of pitches in the dirt. One wonders why no coach has corrected this. As a result, Statcast gives his pitch blocking a score of 33 where 50 is considered average.

What is Saving Pirates Catcher Davis from Demotion?

If Davis’s only contribution is a bit of pitch-framing skills combined with weak hitting from the bottom of the order, one might consider him the 2024 version of Austin Hedges. Hedges was signed as a free agent to be the Pirates’ catcher in 2023. Although he drew praise from teammates for his game planning, he hit just .180/.237/.230 as a Pirate. That included just one home run, which he celebrated with a ridiculous bat flip as though he were Aaron Judge. Eventually, the Pirates decided to call up some prospects to help a sagging offense, and Hedges was traded.

What is keeping Davis from a demotion so far is the lack of a major league-ready catcher in the Pirates system to replace him. On paper, it’s a position where the Pirates are deep. Endy Rodriguez, who assumed the position when Hedges was traded, showed promise last year. Veteran Yasmani Grandal, signed as a free agent in the spring, brings 12 years of major league experience. Newly acquired Joey Bart was the San Francisco Giants’ first pick (and second overall) in the 2018 draft. Jason Delay is a smart and serviceable backup. Unfortunately, Rodriguez, Grandal, and Delay are all on the injured list presently.

Rodriguez is out for the season after offseason elbow surgery. Grandal has been out with plantar fasciitis since the spring. He has resumed baseball activities and is expected to return sometime soon. Delay had knee surgery last week and is out for at least six weeks. The Pirates have no choice but to postpone a demotion for Davis until another catcher is ready.

The Unthinkable Has Become Thinkable

When the Bucs signed Grandal, it made sense to have an experienced mentor on hand for Davis. The trade for Bart was more of a head-scratcher at the time because of the logjam it would create at catcher, especially with Bart being out of minor-league options. With the vote of confidence given Davis in the offseason, it seemed unthinkable that he would go back to Triple-A. Either Bart or Grandal would have to be traded. The revelation that the Pirates tried to trade for Bart before signing Grandal led to speculation, at least by this writer, that Grandal would be traded.