Top Prospect Brennan Davis' AFL Showing Propels Him Closer to Chicago Cubs Debut
Chicago Cubs' top prospect Brennan Davis had a season to forget in 2022, but he's attempting to salvage some of that mediocrity this fall.
Drafted in the second round of the 2018 draft, Davis rocketed up prospect rankings. Before 2022 Davis was MLB's no. 15 prospect after a 2021 season in which he slashed .260/.375/.494 across three levels from High-A to Triple-A.
2022 though, was marred by injury for the young outfielder. Looking to erase any doubt about his Major League readiness, Davis' OPS was just .641 at Triple-A.
If he'd had a good showing, it's possible he could have found himself the Opening Day centerfielder in 2023 or potentially even a cup of coffee in September 2022. Instead, a bad back only increased the distance between himself and the Wrigley Field ivy.
Now healthy and playing for the Mesa Solar Sox amongst some of the best prospects in baseball, Davis has begun to force some reevaluations.
Naturally, the four games he's played in the AFL are a very small sample size, but they showcase the talent he's capable of. In 20 plate appearances, Davis is slashing .294/.400/.706.
He's hit two home runs and walked twice to only one strikeout while roaming the corner outfield.
Perhaps a consistent showing during the rest of the AFL will propel Davis to an extended spring training tryout with the big club, and past that, who knows. Maybe Davis' Fall League prowess will get him more consideration for a very strong Cubs' prospect pool in the outfield.
Either way, it seems likely that he will debut at some point in 2023, whether that's on Opening Day or later.
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