Pirates’ Henry Davis is finding his swing again with an unexpected assist

Don't look now, but Pittsburgh Pirates catcher and former No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis is heating up at the plate – and the key to his recent success comes from a rather unlikely source.

Davis told reporters, including Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, that veteran utility man Adam Frazier had recently taught him a drill that emphasized driving balls down the middle of the field instead of trying to pull on every pitch. The drill, Davis said, has helped him keep his swing short and find good pitches to hit.

In an admittedly small sample size, Davis' performance at the plate against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday and Wednesday indicates that Frazier’s drill is working. He homered to deep left-center field off former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes on Tuesday, followed by an eighth-inning double to right-center (which, at 401 feet, would have been a home run at PNC Park). He also hit a pair of singles on Wednesday, both to left-center.

Pirates’ Henry Davis is finding his swing again with an unexpected assist from Adam Frazier

Few would have expected Frazier to be the key to unlocking Davis' offensive potential, but give him credit where it's due. The 33-year-old, who has been on somewhat of a tear himself of late with with a slash line of .440/.533/.520 over his last seven games, has been every bit of the veteran leader the Pirates have needed him to be since they brought him back on a one-year free agent deal during the offseason.

As for Davis, the Pirates have to hope that his recent hot streak is more than a fluke. Over the past 15 days, he is slashing .412/.474/.647 with a 1.121 OPS to the tune of seven hits, a home run, a double, four RBI, two walks and three strikeouts. He has gone 4-for-8 with three runs scored, one double, one home run and three RBI in the last two games alone. It's still early, but Davis' recent success is a great sign – and hopefully an indicator of things to come.

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