ALTOONA, Pa. — Coming out of spring training, the Pirates had a simple plan to develop their top two catching prospects: Endy Rodríguez would start the season at Triple-A Indianapolis and Henry Davis would be at Double-A Altoona.
Although they are separated by 460 miles and one level of the minors, Davis, 23, and Rodríguez, 22, are not far apart in terms of talent and potential. Each needs to get as much playing time behind the plate as possible.
Advertisement
The thing about best-laid plans, though, is they often go astray. A sore forearm cost Rodríguez a week on the injured list. Over 21 games, he’s batting .244/.323/.395 with three homers.
After missing significant time last year due to a broken wrist, Davis began this season healthy and confident. He is hitting .313/.462/.677 with eight home runs.
Farm director John Baker won’t second-guess his decision to assign Davis to Altoona. Is there a temptation to scrap the plan and quickly promote Davis to Indy? “Henry likes to make things really difficult, for sure,” Baker said wryly.
That comment drew a smile from Davis.
“I think I’m making it easy,” Davis said Saturday.
Davis has reached base in 22 of 24 games. He’s all over the Eastern League leaderboards: first in on-base percentage, first in slugging, fourth in homers and third in extra-base hits (14). His 1.149 OPS is tops in Double A and fifth in all levels of the minors.
“I left spring training feeling good,” Davis said. “I’m encouraged by the success.”
Um … that’s it? Yup. Davis isn’t the chatty type when it comes to basking in his accolades.
“I’ll nitpick myself to death. There’s always things I think I can do better,” Davis said. “In the last few games, I definitely didn’t walk enough. I’m feeling really good right now, so I’m super aggressive in the zone. But over the course of the season, seeing more pitches can get a pitcher out of the game faster and help my team win.”
Davis is being a little too hard on himself. Over his past seven games, he drew three walks (one intentional) — and hit 11-for-28 (.393) with two homers.
“He’s swung the bat so well,” Baker said. “He’s run the bases so well. And his catching has improved — that’s the biggest part.”
Nobody doubts Davis will hit in the big leagues. He slugged a 407-foot homer last year in his Double-A debut, then found out a few days later he was playing with a fractured wrist.
As Davis continues to punish Eastern League pitchers, it’s natural to want the Pirates to bump him up to Indy by the time you reach the end of this sentence. Baker and general manager Ben Cherington might’ve had the same urge as they scouted Davis in person last week in Altoona.
Advertisement
It won’t happen, though, until management is comfortable with Davis’ level of experience and defensive development. Injuries limited Davis to 67 games over his first two seasons in the farm system, plus 17 games in the Arizona Fall League.
“Henry is learning how to be more efficient, learning what his process is,” Baker said. “Playing every day is a different thing that you have to get used to physically. Endy has had more experience learning that than Henry has.”
Davis, who was drafted No. 1 in 2021, has made strides behind the plate. Yet, some scouts rate Dylan Shockley, a 34th-round pick in 2019, as the Curve’s best defensive catcher.
“I feel like I get better every day,” Davis said.
Baker offered a more detailed to-do list for Davis.
“Focus on pitcher-catcher relationship, continue to put himself in a good position to throw, go throughout the day without being noticed behind the plate,” Baker said. “I can say that in every game I watched — and I watch every one of them — he’s incrementally getting better.”
Baker said Rodríguez and Davis were assigned to different levels so each could catch four, five or sometimes even six games a week. Rodríguez has started 18 games at catcher, one at first base and three as the designated hitter (two of those came when he was activated from the IL).
When Tyler Heineman was designated for assignment at the end of April and Shockley was sent to Indy for two days, Davis was essentially Altoona’s only catcher. Davis has played 18 games at catcher, three as the DH and three in right field. Last week, he started back-to-back games in the outfield.
“It’s a little different,” Davis said of playing right field. “It’s slower. You’ve got more time than you think, so you don’t have to react as fast. ‘Read the ball and go get it,’ is something Nunns (hitting coach Jon Nunnally) has really pushed on me.”
Advertisement
Baker stressed that Davis and Rodríguez still are catchers in the big-picture plan, which is why improving their defense is so important. There’s another ingredient they need, too.
“Endy throws very well, receives well and blocks well, but there’s more to it — the intangible parts of the position,” Baker said. “It really helps (Jason) Delay and (Austin) Hedges. The goal for Endy is to stay healthy and catch as much as possible. I think the game is gonna teach him what he needs to know.”
The goal is the same for Davis. Eventually, he’s going to force management to promote him. What happens if he and Rodríguez are at Indy at the same time?
“I’m not sure,” Davis said. “I think I’ve only caught four (games in a week) once this year. Most weeks, it’s been three. I don’t write the lineup, so I’m just focusing on what I can do.”
Everyone asks Davis what he thinks about the Pirates’ plan. After getting the question a million times from family, friends, fans and media, Davis has come up with a succinct reply.
“Win the year by winning the day,” Davis said. “However I can help my team win today, just do that to the best of my ability.”
(Top photo courtesy of the Altoona Curve)