Perrotto: Draft Not Place for Immediate Boost (+)

Henry Davis reached the major leagues last month and it was a rather quick rise.

The used-to-be catcher from the University of Louisville made his major-league debut less than two years after the Pittsburgh Pirates selected him with the first overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft. Now, Davis is the Pirates’ primary right fielder after playing just 118 minor-league games.

Right-hander Paul Skenes and center fielder Dylan Crews, LSU teammates, are considered the top two players available in this year’s draft, which begins Sunday night at Lumen Field in Seattle. Many scouts believe the duo is so advanced that both might be ready to play in the major leagues as soon as this season.

With the Pirates again holding the first overall pick, it leads to the question of whether they might lean toward taking a player who is almost ready for the big leagues. The Pirates are still on the fringe of the National League Central race, though they have fallen 7.5 games off the pace of the first-place Cincinnati Reds.