Davis committed to better hitting approach in return to Bucs

PITTSBURGH -- When Henry Davis was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on May 3, coincidence would have it that the team’s first series was in Louisville. That’s where the Pirates catcher first made his mark as a ballplayer, at the University of Louisville. His alma mater.

Maybe it could also be the home of a bit of a revival.

Davis’ younger brother, Morgan, is a pitcher for the University of Louisville now, so the two went to the fastball machine and turned it up as high as it could go. For three days before his assignment to Indianapolis started, Davis swung there.

“[I wanted to] do something where I couldn’t think about anything,” Davis said. “If I’m thinking about anything in that moment, I’m not going to have success. It’s very similar to how the big league game is. People talk about how the speed of the game speeds up, but the second I did that without thinking about anything, it went back to what I’ve done my whole life, my whole career.”

Davis was recalled from Indianapolis on Tuesday after he tore up Triple-A pitching, hitting .296 with seven home runs and a 1.078 OPS over 101 trips to the plate. He kicked off his second stint in the Majors with a double while catching a shutout as the Pirates beat the Dodgers, 1-0, to open a three-game set at PNC Park.

It’s a good start, but Davis still has plenty to prove.

Davis’ professional career hasn’t been exactly smooth sailing since being selected first overall in the 2021 MLB Draft, but any issues usually stemmed from an injury. This April was different. Davis just flat out struggled at the plate.

Through 23 games in the Majors before being optioned, he hit just .162 with only three extra-base hits, no home runs and 29 strikeouts in 83 plate appearances.

The Pirates challenged him this past offseason to grow as a catcher, which he fully bought into. His growth defensively compared to 2023 is undeniable, and it played a big part in him being named the Opening Day starting catcher.

But Davis needs to hit, too. When he was sent to the Minors, the Pirates gave him a new set of challenges to try to get him back to the hitter they thought they had in ‘23.

“I think you're going to see a setup that's very similar to what we saw last year, an approach that we saw last year,” manager Derek Shelton said. “I really feel confident in the fact that we sent him down with a solid message and he bought into it, and did a really good job.”

Mechanically, it’s apparent to see how Davis’ stance has changed. He stood more upright to start the year. Now, he’s back to a crouch. His hand position and bat angle have also reverted back to closer to where he was in 2023.

Davis also made some changes to his mental approach. He wouldn’t say he regrets that first month of the 2024 season, because he was able to learn from it, but it did mean he had to take a hard look at himself. In that self-reflection, he came to accept that it’s OK he didn’t have to focus on having the perfect swing, the perfect preparation for a certain aspect.

He didn’t have to be perfect. He had to be Henry.

“I’m getting back to [where] I’m looking for a pitch over the heart of the plate and I want to be on time,” Davis said. “That’s what I thought about my whole life. Obviously, I take pride in preparation and I want to be as prepared as I can be in the box. But at the same time, just trusting in my ability, trusting in what I do before the game and just let it happen.”

Time will tell if Davis’ changes will translate to more Major League success. Getting a plus bat in the lineup would be a major boost, and Davis’ strong rapport with Jared Jones could only help the rookie pitcher.

If nothing else, it looks like Davis’ confidence is back.

“As high as can be,” he said. “I feel like myself.”