After being selected first overall in the 2021 MLB Draft,
Henry Davis was limited to only 59 games in 2022 by a wrist injury. That appeared to set back his timeline to reach the majors, though he ripped through work at Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis to reach Pittsburgh by mid-June of 2023. Davis' opening sample in the majors wasn't all that inspiring, as he managed only a .653 OPS, .287 wOBA and 76 wRC+. That was driven primarily by a strikeout rate that spiked to 27 percent after sitting consistently in the high teens and low 20s throughout his minor-league stints. Considering he also played through a right hand injury, there were some positive underlying signs from his time in the majors despite the poor surface stats, highlighted by a 7.0 percent barrel rate and 88.6 average exit velocity - both of which were almost exactly league-average. In addition to proving he can stay healthy, the biggest question for Davis is where he'll play defensively. After playing primarily behind the plate in the minors, upon reaching the majors, he started exclusively in right field or at DH. He'll enter the 2024 season without catcher eligibility as a result, though general manager Ben Cherington stated early in the offseason that the team still views him as an option behind the dish. If he gets enough playing time to regain eligibility, he'll instantly be back on fantasy radars, but he's far less appealing as an outfielder and potentially first baseman.
