The Athletic Ranks Henry Davis as No. 1 2021 MLB Draft Prospect

The junior catcher for Louisville baseball has been ranked as the top draft prospect by Keith Law.

(Photo of Henry Davis: George Walker IV - Tennessean.com)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - As we inch closer to the 2021 Major League Baseball Draft, which is set to take place in roughly two months, mock draft and big board season is starting to take off.

For the longest time, many have predicted that Vanderbilt pitching duo Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker will go No. 1 and No. 2 in the draft. But when The Athletic's Keith Law released his first draft big board on Thursday, there was a new name at the top - Louisville junior catcher Henry Davis.

"Davis has an elite approach at the plate, an ideal combination of selectivity, pitch recognition, and hand acceleration, so that he just doesn’t swing and miss," Law wrote in his scouting report of him in April. "His swing is beautiful, with the aforementioned quick hands and great hip rotation to allow him to drive the ball."

Of course, some of this has to do with the recent slumps from Leiter and Rocker, but Davis has shined in his own right. So far this season for Louisville, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound backstop is batting .389/.511/.671 with 11 home runs, 43 RBIs, nine doubles and 29 walks to just 18 strikeouts in 41 games.

Ranking the top 100 college and high school prospects in the draft, Law also included another Cardinal - junior corner infielder Alex Binelas, who comes in at No. 62. After a slow start, the 6-foot-3, 225-pound Binelas is batting .289/.358/.601 with 14 home runs, 52 RBI and eight doubles.

Louisville currently sits at 26-15 on the year, including 16-10 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have seven games left in the regular season, with six coming in league play: a series at UNC, a midweek game vs. USC Upstate, and a series vs. Miami. The 2021 MLB Draft will begin on Sunday, July 11 and last through Tuesday, July 13.

You can follow Louisville Report for future coverage by liking us on Facebook & following us on Twitter:

Facebook - @LouisvilleOnSI

Twitter - @LouisvilleOnSI and Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @GeneralWasp