PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Pirates catchers have combined for only eight extra base hits and 12 RBI this year. When Henry Davis was drafted first overall in 2021 he was thought to be on a fast track. Why is the 23-year-old catcher still in AA?
Davis is finally fully recovered from the broken wrist he suffered and at times played through last year. Following a slow start, Davis is hitting .429 in May with a pair of homers on Wednesday raising that total to eight in 76 at bats with a .316 average, .464 on-base percentage, .711 slugging percentage and even five stolen bases.
Why not get him to AAA so he will be a final step before playing for the Pirates?
The answer is really simple if you follow the Bucs minor league system, he's being blocked. A franchise just a couple of years ago devoid of any catching prospects now has two. Endy Rodriguez was the Pirates minor league player of the year last season. The switch-hitter hit 25 home runs and 39 doubles over 125 games from High A to AAA in 2022. Rodriguez also hit .323 with a .407 on base percentage and 95 RBI.
What the Pirates are looking to do is get as many reps as possible for both Rodriguez and Davis behind the plate and the only way to do that is by having them on separate teams.
"We started the season believing that they both really needed to play a lot," said Pirates GM Ben Cherington. "It's not that they could never be on the same team. At some point, of course, that can happen. But for the start of the season we wanted them both to have the primary catcher role."
"Playing time is part of that but it's also just a role on the team. There is something to being the lead catcher on a team and the role that is and the responsibility that comes with it. We wanted them both to be that guy, to experience that for a good chunk of time."
"We haven't made any determination on exactly how long things will (go). We can look at that and revise it. We're still at a point in the season where we'd like to see them both in that role."
That process might be closer to the majors if it weren't for injuries. Davis with the wrist that limited him to 59 games last year. Rodriguez dealt with a right forearm injury earlier this season that the Bucs brass feared would be worse than it was. Through 20 games, he is hitting .256 with three home runs. He also is coming on with six hits in five games this month with four runs scored. Pirates brass admitted they feared a potentially long-term injury
Why Rodriguez is in AAA and Davis is in AA is simple. The 22-year-old Rodriguez is ahead of Davis at this point.
"He is improving on the things that we've asked him to improve on, which are the finer points of being a catcher," said Pirates Director of Coaching and Player Development John Baker. "He throws very well, receives well, blocks well. But there's more to it. We have some good examples of what it looks like when it's really good here. I guess the intangible parts of the position."
"Endy, until the second half of the season last year, wasn't catching every day. The goal for Endy Rodriguez is to stay healthy and catch as much as possible. I think the game is gonna teach him what he needs to know."
"With (Jason) Delay and (Austin) Hedges, it really helps those guys. You see what Mitch did last night. You know that Hedgey has a part in that. It's just continuing to learn those things and catch all the time. Endy, until the second half of the season last year, wasn't catching every day. The goal for Endy Rodriguez is to stay healthy and catch as much as possible. I think the game is gonna teach him what he needs to know."
Rodriguez has to know with any slip-up, Davis is primed to pass him.
"The at bats have been good, consistent," Cherington said of Davis. "He's making good swing decisions, getting on base, hitting for power. He's been a tough out in that lineup. He's hit well situationally, too."
"He's a smart baseball player. He's picked his spots on the bases. And he continues to work tirelessly on the defensive part of the game and he's making real progress there. We think he's in a really good spot. He's doing exactly what we asked and hoped he would do in Double-A. He's a big part of that team. We think he's in a really good spot and look for it to continue."
"Henry likes to make things really difficult, for sure," Baker said. "He's swung the bat so well. He's run the bases so well. And his catching has improved. I think that's the toughest part. There are only six games a week. We'd like both of those to catch four or five or even sometime in the future, six of those games just for their development."
"Very convicted in both of them as people. Very convicted in the bats as well. It's the same as when the season started. These guys need to catch every day. They're gonna impact Pittsburgh in the not-too-distant future."
But there is not rush to do it now, they believe in the intangibles of the two catchers currently in the majors, especially with the veteran Hedges. Baker said you wouldn't have seen Mitch Keller throw a complete game shutout Monday without Hedges behind the plate. They are currently willing to live with the lack of offense because of what both mean to the pitching staff primarily and their impact on the clubhouse generally.
They also believe there is more for Davis and Rodriguez to do in the minors before they are ready for Major League Baseball.
"Henry is learning how to be more efficient, learning what his process is," Baker said. "He only had I think 59 professional games coming into the season. Playing every day is a different thing that you have to get used to physically. I think Endy has had some more experience learning that than Henry has."
"You give Henry a target, and he attacks it with 100% ferocity. We're seeing that. That's what we asked him to do essentially. Focus on pitcher-catcher relationship, continue to put himself in a good position to throw, but all in all, go throughout the day without being noticed behind the plate. I can say that every game I watched — and I watch every one of them — he's incrementally getting better at doing that. It's exciting to see and a testament to the work that he's put in also."
He will continue that work in AA, at least now you know why he's still there.
