Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Henry Davis, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 draft by way of Louisville, launched his first big-league home run on Thursday night against the Miami Marlins (GameTracker). Davis only recently made his big-league debut, with Thursday's game marking his fourth appearance.
Davis' home run, a solo shot, opened up the eighth inning against Marlins reliever Andrew Nardi. According to Statcast, the home run had a 100.5 mph exit velocity and traveled 407 feet. It would've been a home run in all 30 Major League Baseball ballparks, per Statcast's calculations.
Take a look:
First big league cannonball for Henry Davis! 💥 pic.twitter.com/ft9Mwbumci
— MLB (@MLB) June 23, 2023
The Pirates selected Davis with the top pick in the 2021 draft, yet he received only the fifth-highest signing bonus, with Pittsburgh funneling the savings to other parts of their class. There was nothing inherently wrong with that strategy since evaluators felt he was a defensible pick, but it hasn't revealed itself as a slam-dunk choice. That's in part because Davis was limited by injuries to just 67 games over his first season-plus as a professional. He's fared better this year, in health and performance, showing off the big-time power that made him so enticing to begin with. While the hope is that Davis remains tolerable behind the plate, it's perhaps noteworthy that the Pirates have given him more looks in right field this year, if only to preserve his body and help unlock his bat. It should go without writing that a move that far down the defensive spectrum would make Davis less interesting as a prospect. It should also go without writing that the Pirates will live with that reality if it means he's free to launch 30-plus home runs a year.
Davis entered Thursday with one hit in his first 10 at-bats, as well as a walk and a hit by pitch. He's split his time between designated hitter and the outfield, with the Pirates turning to a timeshare between Austin Hedges and Jason Delay behind the plate.
