Ridiculous Henry Davis stat proves why Pirates need him to start hitting

When the Pittsburgh Pirates selected Henry Davis in the 2021 MLB Draft, his defense – particularly framing and receiving – was the biggest concern. But his bat and arm strength were so strong that the Pirates made him the No. 1 overall pick anyway.

Davis' offensive profile was considered the most advanced in his draft class. Pittsburgh believed that his leadership, work ethic and arm strength gave him a chance to at least be serviceable as a catcher – and if not, his bat would surely play at another position.

Fast forward to 2025, just two years removed from Pittsburgh's failed attempt to turn him into a right fielder, and Davis has shown marked improvement behind the plate in his third Major League season. His career-high 0.9 bWAR and seven defensive runs saved make him one of the best defensive catchers in baseball this season, marking a significant improvement from the several defensive question marks he had when he was drafted four years ago.

But for all the progress Davis has made defensively, his offense has regressed – so much so that it has all but disappeared completely. His OPS this season is a mere .548, and his career mark of .574 isn't much better. So, in an unexpected turn of events, it's Davis' glove – not his bat – that is keeping him in the Pirates lineup.

Ridiculous Henry Davis stat proves why Pirates need him to start hitting

The results when Davis is behind the plate speak for themselves. The Pirates are 31-28 in games that Davis has caught this season, good for a .525 winning percentage. Per Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the club has the following records when other catchers are behind the plate: Joey Bart (23-41), Endy Rodriguez (4-4) and Brett Sullivan (1-2).

Meanwhile, Davis has been a hindrance to the Pirates' offense this season, especially considering the lofty expectations as a former No. 1 overall pick. His overall production remains significantly below league average, with a .175/.260/.286 slash line through 154 at-bats this year,

Davis has some intermittent hot streaks that are encouraging but too few and far between. And despite those flashes, the overall numbers still lag behind expectations – and he's done little to shift the narrative as a reliable offensive contributor.

The Pirates are a better team with Davis' glove behind the plate, but a worse one with his bat in the lineup. If his hit tool can't translate at the Major League level, consider him a waste of a No. 1 pick for Pittsburgh.

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