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Pittsburgh Pirates: Top Prospects like Henry Davis Not Being Rewarded
The Pittsburgh Pirates are in the midst of a pretty difficult stretch where they have won only 1 game out of their last 8. The biggest deficit the team has dealt with has been in regard to their offense. They have only scored 10 runs in those 8 games. The team's defense has been very poor as well, but the team's offense went from one of the best in Baseball to one of the worst.
Yet, the Pittsburgh Pirates Front Office is still playing around with giving this team a chance to win. Yes, they spent more money this past offseason. Yes, they have made some deals that have produced young, Big League players who are helping. But, the fact remains the team is still dancing around what should be the best 26-man roster.
Last year, Major League Baseball installed the designated hitter as a universal rule. While this was a positive for many teams, the Pittsburgh Pirates have not had as much success. The main issue is that while the pitcher is now out of the lineup, the Bucs still have a player who is hitting like one in Austin Hedges. The idea of Austin Hedges is great, the experience he brings to the pitching staff, his game calling, and his pitching framing, that is all fine. He cannot hit, his OPS on the year is at .426, a number that many players slug across the League.
It is time to replace catcher Austin Hedges with former top pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in Henry Davis.
So why are the Bucs continuing to give him regular at-bats? He has not shown anything exceptional in terms of his defense behind the plate, throwing runners out, blocking pitches, and in general fielding the position. So why is he not the team's backup? Hedges has the exact makeup of a backup catcher.
It is time to make him one. This team needs a spark and Henry Davis could be that spark. Davis, who was the #1 overall selection in the 2021 Draft, has been tearing the cover off the ball at Double-A. He has had multi games this year with multiple home runs.
On the year he has 8 bombs and a batting average of .316. On top of that his OPS on the year is just under 1.200. He is not only the hottest hitter in Double-A right now, but he is putting up such impressive numbers that he should just skip Triple-A. It is time to promote the 23-year-old backstop and help mend the Big League lineup.
Davis would provide an immediate upgrade to the team's offense from behind the plate. He is not just a good-hitting catcher, but a potential difference-making bat. One thing this offense has been lacking is home run power, obviously, Davis will provide that upon his promotion.
Enough is enough with the roster manipulation. Call up Henry Davis. He is ready and the Pittsburgh Pirates need an impact bat. The team has called up prospects from Double-A before so there should not be a problem with him skipping a level. Stop playing the Super-2 game and start playing the best players in your Organization.