No. 1 Draft pick Davis promoted to High-A

PITTSBURGH -- The No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft is moving up quickly through Pittsburgh’s system.

The Greensboro Grasshoppers announced that catcher Henry Davis has been promoted from the Florida Complex League to the Pirates’ High-A affiliate in North Carolina.

Davis went 3-for-7 in two games in the FCL, where all of the Pirates’ 19 draftees in the 2021 class began their professional careers. All three hits went for extra bases -- two doubles and a home run -- while he had two strikeouts at the complex in Bradenton, Fla., where he told MLB.com that he’s already become more comfortable as he takes his first steps in pro ball.

“I feel like I’ve learned a lot from the staff at Pirate City," Davis said earlier this month. "The people I’m working with are very smart. They’re excellent at what they do, and I’m trying to take full advantage of that and translate it into games, and to see progress is great.”

Davis was selected first overall out of Louisville, where he hit .370 with a .663 slugging percentage fueled by nine doubles and 15 home runs in 50 games. The Pirates were able to sign him well under slot value, which opened them up to select four more Top 100 Draft prospects.

Though not yet ranked among the club’s Top 30 prospects, per MLB Pipeline, ahead of the midseason update, Davis figures to be the top catching prospect in a system that has replenished its catching depth through the Draft and trades dating back to the offseason.