Hammerin’ Hank is hot as hell at the plate!
The expectations of a professional athlete are immense in nature, as they try and perform at their highest for their team and fanbase on a nightly basis. Those expectations are even greater when you have the distinction of being the first overall pick in your respected draft class. The standard for Henry Davis has been sky high since he was drafted first overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2021. Through plenty of ups and downs, it seems like now Davis is finally starting to turn that corner in his career.
Davis was slated as one of the backup catchers to begin the 2025 season, with his year starting in Triple-A Indianapolis. Veteran Joey Bart was set to be the Pirates starter with Endy Rodríguez serving as the backup. However, an injury to Rodríguez saw Davis get called back up to Pittsburgh.
Then on May 27, Davis came in for an injured Bart and immediately got to work. With his first swing of the night in relief, he hit a massive two-run homer to help get things started for the Pirates offensively that night and was a huge reason they won that contest. He would finish that night with two hits, two runs scored, and two RBIs. Since that night, he hasn’t looked back.
Henry Davis homers in back-to-back games to give the @Pirates the lead! pic.twitter.com/jFoP6D1r7J
— MLB (@MLB) June 7, 2025
This past weekend’s series against the Phillies was another in which Davis was a huge reason the team came away with the three-game sweep.
Hammerin Hank had back to back games with a homer on Friday and Saturday, and manager Don Kelly took notice and acknowledged the kind of performances he’s had as of late.
“He’s doing an unbelievable job,” Kelly said. “Offensively, bat’s coming alive. We’ve seen what he’s done defensively, how much better he’s gotten. You just, when you know the kid, you know how hard he works, you know how much he cares and he puts everything into it every single day. He’s prepared, regardless if he’s starting, not starting, whatever. Just can’t say enough about him and the energy that he’s brought, continuing to swing the bat like that.”
Since his relief appearance in Arizona, Davis has scored five runs, with eight hits, three homers, and has raised his batting average to .235 with a .647 slugging percentage over that nine-game span. At this point, he’s shown so many signs of continued development with seemingly nothing in his way. Rodriguez and Bart are both on the IL for the time being, and even when they come back, it seems pretty likely that Kelly will ride with the hot hand.
Bart has also found himself in trade conversations, and unfortunately for Endy, he may be dealing with more long-term elbow problems than expected and may not be able to bounce back as anticipated. Meanwhile, Davis is making good on his highly-touted draft selection from four years ago in monstrous way, serving as a great defender behind the plate and performing much better offensively as well.
While there is still room to improve, the Pirates may finally have their catcher of the future solidified with Davis playing as good as he is as of late.