ST. LOUIS -- Maybe it was only natural that left-handed pitcher Braden Davis and outfielder Bryce Madron became fast friends and had their lockers next to one another inside the University of Oklahoma clubhouse, because both have histories of being doubted and overlooked due to a perceived lack of size.
The grit and determination that it took them to overcome those questions led them to the same place this week -- getting drafted by the Cardinals, where they will continue to be teammates and look to defy the odds before them.
The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Davis was a fifth-round pick in the MLB Draft by the Cardinals, while the 5-foot-8, 175-pound Madron was snatched up by St. Louis in the 10th round. The two shared a moment of happiness and reflection on still being teammates, hoping to show the Cardinals they were worth the slots where they were selected.
“I think I’ve always played with a chip on my shoulder,” said Davis, who spent two years at tiny Sam Houston State as a reliever before getting his shot to be a starting pitcher at Oklahoma. “I’ve always had to work my way up and prove myself. Also, being a younger guy who looks young and maybe I was a little bit smaller than some of the other guys, that’s always naturally put that chip on my shoulder.”
Picking higher in the Draft than they have in 26 years, the Cardinals valued grit, toughness and tenacity with many of their picks over the course of the three-day Draft, in which they selected 19 players. Their No. 7 overall pick, JJ Wetherholt, tumbled a bit after suffering two hamstring injuries in the past year. Third-round pick Brian Holiday and 15th-round selection Sam Brodersen -- both right-handed pitchers from Florida -- won small-school national championships before getting their shots at Division I schools. Others, such as Vanderbilt’s Andrew Dutkanych IV and Notre Dame’s Jack Findlay, could start their pro careers while trying to battle back from Tommy John surgeries.
Substance, and not sheer size, mattered more to the Cardinals in this Draft, assistant general manager/director of scouting Randy Flores said.
“If you look at the players we picked, they’re not under 6-foot and throwing 85-88 [mph]; there’s some really good stuff there, not only in velocity, but also with their performance,” said Flores, who has had tremendous success in past Drafts in finding gems such as Masyn Winn, Alec Burleson, Jordan Walker and Gordon Graceffo for the Cardinals. “We’ve had tall, tall players who have come into their own à la [6-foot-8 Chris] Roycroft, [6-foot-5 Kyle] Leahy or [6-foot-5 Ryan] Loutos. But there are also players like this who aren’t 6-foot-4, but they have tremendous arm speed or they move well … and it affords us a nice chance to grab something of value with them.”
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Flores valued what he called “interesting pitch characteristics” and “sneaky deception” with Davis, a product of Keller, Texas, who first hit 95 mph of velocity in high school and developed a devastating changeup to keep hitters off balance. After two years as a reliever at Sam Houston State -- where he held opposing hitters to .145 and .194 batting averages, respectively -- Davis got his shot to pitch at Oklahoma.
A summer stint in the Cape Cod League, where he played alongside No. 1 overall Draft pick Travis Bazzana, gave Davis the confidence that he could thrive in the Big 12. He quickly emerged as the Sooners’ staff ace while compiling 117 strikeouts in 92 innings this past season. At one point from April 12 to May 22, Davis won seven straight starts and he ultimately earned first-team all-conference honors after going 7-1 in Big 12 play.
“With me, I think the difference is my mentality,” said Davis, who had eight or more strikeouts in eight of his 16 starts with OU. “I’m really competitive, and whether I’m in the bullpen or starting, my mindset is the same and that’s to dominate the hitter and dominate my role.”
As friends with Madron, Davis picked up on some of the swagger from a player who led the Sooners in home runs (12) and hit .318 despite being just 5-foot-8. In their eyes, the doubts from others served as fuel that has helped them reach the Cardinals together.
“You could probably tell Bryce [that he was too small] and he wouldn’t care because he will laugh at anything and he’s such a good guy to be around,” Davis said. “We’ve talked a bunch about [overcoming odds]. When I saw it was [Madron’s] name that got called and that it was to St. Louis, I got even more pumped up. We’re both so excited for each other.”