Henry
Davis

2021 MLB Draft: It's become commonplace to see collegiate catchers with offensive upside climb draft boards in season, and Davis is the latest to represent that group. The Louisville backstop was ranked No. 11 overall on our January edition of our PBR Draft Board, and he’s now up to No. 5 and has been in the conversation as a viable pick at No. 1, courtesy of a stellar spring in which he hit .370 with 15 homers and more walks than Ks (31:24). Davis’ top-scale raw bat strength coupled with his natural bat-to-ball skills and keen eye, raise the floor on his prospect stock, as he’s also capable of playing a position that’s slugging a combined .380 in the big leagues this season. Defensively, Davis works hard behind the dish, and his highly athletic footwork and big arm can be run-stoppers at the next level. He may need some work as a receiver to stay behind the plate, but he would also fit easily in right field with his plus-plus arm strength and offensive profile.

Davis combines a gritty throwback style of play with top tools. At 6-foot-2, 200 pounds he’s strong and athletic with a plus to better arm that shows good carry, accuracy and consistent sub 2.0 POP times. He has quick, direct footwork on his throws and is also quick on his feet out of his crouch to field bunts and popups. Behind the plate Davis has strong hands and frames well to his gloveside, but can struggle at times when catching to his backhand, botching a couple for passed balls on our look at Wake Forest last spring. He totaled six in just 14 games during the 2020 season. In the batter’s box he’s an aggressive hitter who attacks the baseball with strength and bat speed. He has the potential to hit for both average and power, finishing 2020 with a .372 batting average, a .698 SLG% and more walks (8) than strikeouts (4). With further development receiving the baseball, Davis could become Louisville’s second, first-round backstop (Will Smith) in the past five years.

Standing 6-foot-2, 210-pounds and aggressively wired in every aspect of the game,  Davis leads the Cardinals from behind the dish. With a 70-grade arm, short footwork, accurate throws and POP times in the 1.8-1.9s there is little doubt about Davis’ ability to stop the run game. With super athletic feet there is also little doubt about his blocking skills. However, the industry does have concerns about his receiving, especially after a rough weekend earlier this spring at Georgia Tech. On this look I have no such concerns. For me, it’s nothing more than just a little more work to add some finishing polish. And work ethic is not a concern with Davis. He’s a competitor with the ability to grind. Adding to his defensive package are above average speed (stole a pair of bases in the series and is 7-for-7 this season), hit ability (.407 batting average this season with nine walks vs. three strikeouts) and above average power potential (four home runs, three doubles with a .685 SLG% to date this spring). He’s the complete package, a lock first rounder and a top 10 overall pick for me. He possesses a ceiling of a ML All-Star and is one of my favorite prospects for the 2021 draft.

Davis is a gritty throwback type of ballplayer. He’s strong and athletic with a plus arm that showed carry and good accuracy. He had quick, direct footwork on his throws and was also quick on his feet out of his crouch to field bunts and popups. Behind the plate Davis has strong hands and framed well to his gloveside, but struggled at times catching to his backhand, botching a couple for passed balls and giving him six already this season. In the batter’s box he’s an aggressive hitter who attacks the baseball with strength and bat speed. The highlight of his weekend was a tank to left field in Sunday’s rubber match. (Seifert)

Super 60 (February 4, 2018)

Downstate Fall Preview (October 2, 2016)

 Davis, a 2018 Louisville commit, set a PBR New York record for arm velocity Oct. 2. He stands a solid 6-foot-1 and weighs 175-pounds, and ran a 7.22 60 yard dash. Offensively- Impressive talent starts with his lower-half slightly more than shoulder width apart. Hands begin above the back shoulder with a wiggle during pre-pitch as well as a slight tapping of the front foot. Gets into the launch phase of the swing with quiet toe-to-heel movement. Aggressively attacks the ball at the point of contact, showing plus power to all fields. Compact and powerful swing showing why he is ranked in the top five NY prospects for the class of 2018. Recorded an impressive and days best exit velocity of 93 MPH. Defensively-  Strong armed catcher that uses a balanced and compact primary setup. Received the ball quietly presenting the ball well, with a relaxed hand. Quick transfer resulted in an impressive pop time of 1.78. Throws showed plus carry and accuracy as well. An arm velocity of 83 MPH was recorded from behind the plate. From the outfield, set a PBR New York record velocity of 97 MPH from right field. Throws showed impressive carry but could be use more consistent accuracy. Created plus momentum and energy by getting behind the ball in an athletic position. Showed ability to take quality routes to the ball. Currently ranked 4th overall for the class of 2018, this is a high follow prospect for the upcoming years.

August 2015 Davis stands an strong 6-foot-1, 165-pound with an athletic frame. Defensively - receives from a wide deep base, showing good footwork with soft hands. On his throws he gains positive ground, smooth quick transfer, throws with a shorter arm-action from a high-3/4 slot, arm gets a lot of external rotation and whip. Consistent with his pop-times at 1.8 - 2.0 showing off an above average arm. Offensively - slightly open stance to start, hands above his shoulder. Short path to the ball, mostly level plane with some lift to his finish.