Henry Davis Has Come a Long Way From Days in Right Field

PITTSBURGH — “With the first pick of the 2021 MLB Draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates select Henry Davis, a catcher from the University of Louisville.”

Those were the words said by commissioner Rob Manfred in Denver, Colo., when the Pirates kicked off the 2021 draft by turning in their card with Davis’ name on it.

Davis came up through the system as a catcher, but he didn’t start his Major-League career behind the plate.

When Davis was first called up to the big leagues in 2023, he hit seventh in the Pirates’ lineup. But instead of catching, he played right field, which he continued to do for most of the season.

Despite the overwhelming majority of his first big-league season coming in right field, the Pirates maintained that they still viewed Davis as a catcher.

Two years later, that faith has paid off.

Davis had a big hand in the Pirates’ 2-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday at PNC Park. Though he went 0 for 2 with a walk, the 25-year-old caught two of three Brewers attempting to steal second base and prevented a run from scoring with a big block in the seventh inning.

“Almost three of three (caught stealing). That one was close, too. Just tremendous job back there,” manager Don Kelly said after the win. “Big blocks, too, later in the game. Really showed off his arm and ability to throw guys out.”

Davis’ ability to control the run game has drastically improved through the early portion of this season.

Last year, the Pirates’ backstop caught five runners in 25 stolen base attempts. Through 17 games behind the plate this year, Davis has matched last year’s total and has a 35.7% caught stealing rate.

With those kinds of numbers, it’s only a matter of time before the league takes notice of his ability to control the run game, and it already might have started.

With the score tied 1-1 in the top of the sixth, Christian Yelich recorded a one-out single. But right before the at-bat, Davis and starting pitcher Mitch Keller combined for a strikeout/caught stealing double play. Yelich, who swiped his ninth bag earlier in the game, stayed put at first base.

“Maybe we saw that when Yelich got on a little bit later on,” Kelly said when asked if Davis might deter others from running. “We all know Yeli likes to run and he didn’t attempt to go there. So I think it definitely (does) when you’ve got a catcher back there…Just the ability we have to throw guys out. Henry did an awesome job today with that.”

While Davis has been successful in preventing stolen bases, he’s become a well-rounded defensive catcher — one that the staff trusts.

He’s essentially became Paul Skenes’ personal catcher over the last several weeks, and after Saturday’s win, Keller had high praise for his battery mate.

“His growth is crazy,” said Keller. “I honestly don’t know what it is, but I think the game’s kind of slowed down for him. I don’t want to speak for him, but you can just kind of step back and see that from the sidelines when you’re just watching him. Just the way he goes about his business is crazy. He’s buttoned up. He knows these hitters inside and out. It’s special to see the growth that he’s made over the past one or two seasons, really.”

The ever-humble Davis gave all the credit to others.

He said his pitchers are the reason he’s been successful throwing runners out — by mixing the timing on their holds and making it tougher to run on. He praised third base coach Mike Rabelo, bullpen catcher Jordan Comadena and his fellow catchers for helping him develop defensively.

But the area Davis is most proud of his the connection he’s built with the pitching staff.

“That’s the most important thing, having confidence in each other,” he said. “Calling a good game is the most important thing I can do on any given day. Having that trust is really important to me.”

Given what he’s done so far this season, that trust will continue to build, and opposing teams will think twice before trying to steal a base.