PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Starting the season at the same place he played last year despite being a first-round pick and thought of as the catcher of the future. Henry Davis said of beginning 2023 in Double A Altoona.
"I want to be in Pittsburgh right now, right now," Davis said courtesy of the Altoona Curve Monday as the AA roster was announced.
He didn't say that as a guy who is ticked off at the organization and is going to be a problem. He said that as a guy who has bigger goals and believes no one should be happy in AA.
"Everybody in this locker room should be upset that they are here," Davis said via the Curve. "I think everybody in the AAA locker room should be upset they are there. I think everybody's goal in the system is to be in Pittsburgh. Our goal is to play in Pittsburgh. Our goal is to win in Pittsburgh."
"It's ok to be pissed off, but how do you channel that. If you let that control how you play, shame on you. If you say 'you know what, I'll show them'. I'm going to work as hard as I can to be so good that there is no choice, but for me to be in Pittsburgh. I think that's a great attitude. I think there is no shame in saying that."
"I think everybody in the locker room feels the same way. I think it's ok for it to sting for a little bit, but what are you going to do about it."
It wasn't supposed to be that way, when he was taken as the first overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, there was talk of a quick rise through the system and potentially making the Opening Day roster this year. His final season at Louisville he hit .370 with 15 home runs.
Then injuries-the first in High A Greensboro months after playing his final college game. It limited him to just six games. He would start in Greensboro in 2022, hitting .341 and then a quick call-up to AA before a wrist injury. He tried to play through it. He returned in June of last year, but on July 7th Davis was just unable to go and back to the injured list. It wasn't until late August that came back and would hit .220 in 50 at bats in September.
Davis told 93.7 The Fan last June he was playing through a broken wrist, but wanted to fight through it. He would play only 59 games last season, hitting a combined .264 with 10 home runs in the minors.
"I haven't been on the field as much as I would have liked, it's given me a perspective I've never really had," Davis said. "Being able to grow in different ways and whatever deck of cards I have at that moment, play the best I can. Do my best to help whatever team I am on win."
As he was missing games, Endy Rodriguez passed him. The Bucs minor-league player of the year, Rodriguez is at AAA now is likely the first young catcher to make the majors. Not Davis.
"I think about what I can control every day," Davis said. "I'm not in control of an assignment or the lineup. I can just control to give it my best every day."
"Whatever level I'm at this year, no matter where you are, you are going to have an opponent to you need to respect.
You need to respect the game no matter what. You need to play hard. You need to play right, no matter what. Taking that same routine whether you are here on in the big leagues."
Davis said he's had struggles in his baseball career. When he was 13-14 years-old, he was a bench-rider on his travel baseball team in New York. His first year of high school, he only hit .220. He said he also knew he was better than what he showed then. Davis believed in a better version of himself and that he was capable of more. He would set goals to chase that dream.
Now at age 23, more adversity. But he's not sulking about it, Davis said he has a will to win. He's ready to attack it and sees an opportunity still this year to show what he can do on the Pirates roster.
"My job is the same no matter what uniform I wear, contribute where I am and every day is a day to get closer to Pittsburgh," Davis said.
