Henry Davis 2021 MLB Draft Profile

(Photo of Henry Davis via University of Louisville Athletics)

Prospect: Henry Davis
Position: Catcher
School: Louisville
Year: Third-Year Sophomore
Bat/Throws: R/R
Height, Weight: 6-2, 210

Background

Born Sept. 21, 1999 (age 21). A native of Bedford, N.Y., Davis, played four years at Fox Lane High School. Despite being the No. 231 prospect in the Class of 2018 and top catcher in the state of New York by Perfect Game, Davis was not drafted out high school.

It didn't take long for Davis to make an impact for Louisville. He played in 45 of Louisville's 69 games his freshman year, and made 35 starts, splitting reps at catcher with senior Zeke Pinkham. In 132 at-bats, he posted a .280 batting average with three homers and 23 RBIs.

In the shortened 2020 season, Davis was off to an incredibly hot start. Playing in 14 of the Cardinals' 17 games while starting 13, he posted a slash line of .372/.481/.698, resulting in the best OPS on the team at 1.179. He tallied three home runs, five doubles and 13 RBIs in just 43 at-bats, while also walking eight times.

Davis carried that momentum into his third year at Louisville, turning into not only the bets player on the team, but most consistent. Playing all 50 games and starting all but one, he led the Cardinals in all three slash line categories (.370/.482/.663), along with 15 home runs and 48 RBIs. He led the Atlantic Coast Conference in on-base percentage, and ranked in the top 10 in the league in batting average, hits (68), home runs, RBIs, total bases (122) and slugging percentage.

For his efforts during the 2021 season, Davis was named an All-American by D1Baseball, Baseball America, the NCBWA and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. He also named a finalist for the Buster Posey Award, as well as a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy.

Scouting Report

Top 500 Prospect Rankings:

MLB.com: No. 5
Baseball America: No. 4

Strengths

His arm is without a doubt his best attribute, carrying both accuracy and strength. He threw out 46% of potential base stealers in 2021, and 34% over the course of his collegiate career.
Is an above-average pitch framer, with his best work in this category coming during his freshman year.
Has a very good approach at the plate. He can both recognize pitches and consistently make good contact, leading to him walking (52) more times than striking out (46) in his collegiate career.
Can hit for both contact and power. Not only did he have a 23-game hitting streak (second-longest in program history), but his 14 homers in 2021 was a career-high.
Quick on his feet for a catcher, stealing 10 bases on 13 attempts in 2021.

Weaknesses

While he his a defensive-minded catcher, his blocking and receiving could use some work. He did well enough to stay at catcher throughout his Louisville career, but it's not inconceivable that he could move to another position at the next level.
Both his stance and his swing are a tad unorthodox. The stance goes from crouched and open to almost closed feet in his load, and his swing has a tendency to lengthen out a touch.
He is mainly a pull hitter, but it doesn't warrant too much a defensive shift more often than not.

Highlights

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