PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Not long after he was announced as the Pirates first round pick and the first pick of the 2021 MLB Draft, Louisville junior Henry Davis brought it.
“I think I have the ability to be one of the rare catchers who impacts the ball on both sides,” Davis said. “That’s what I strive for. A guy like JT (Realmuto). A guy like Will (Smith). Moving forward, that’s the path I see myself going down.”
OK, the 21-year-old not shy about his abilities. Not shy about what he sees for himself in the future. Maybe the Pirates organization needs a little more of that moving forward.
Davis spent a day in Pittsburgh before the draft and said he met with all of the key people in the organization. He had done so before. Former Pirates general manager Neal Huntington offered the New York native an opportunity out of high school. Davis said the money was too low and he went to college. The Pirates decided not to waste a Day 2 pick. Davis said he promised Pirates management then that he would cost them more out of college. The prophecy was right.
The Bucs top pick has a lot of confidence and thinks this franchise now believes in a return to glory.
“Everyone in the organization it was clear they are chasing the same thing,” Davis said. “They are chasing greatness for the Pirates. They see the vision where they can be great. They can win World Series. Just being able to contribute a teeny bit going towards that goal, I’m super-excited, ready to go.”
Repeating that it will be behind the plate and not as a corner outfielder as some have speculated.
“It’s very important to me,” Davis said. “I love to catch. I love being able to contribute every pitch. Doing everything I can off the field and on the field during practice to be the best baseball player and best catcher I can be. That’s my goal every day.”
The 6’2” Davis threw out 46% of potential base stealers for Louisville in 2021. The right-hander also batted .370 with 15 home runs, 48 RBI and 10 steals for the Cardinals.
“The potential for improvement really excites me,” Davis said. “I think the way I will go about it and work hard every single day is going to pay off. The results will show. I will be a catcher for a long time.”
Given Endy Rodriguez, who is also 21, is the only other true catching prospect and he’s in Low A Bradenton. Davis may get a chance to back-up those words fairly quickly.