Henry Davis Needs More Patience Before Pirates Run Out
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates have been overly patient with catcher Henry Davis. It’s ironic, now, as the team has to preach that same concept to the 26-year-old as he tries to find himself at the plate.
The Pirates are 1-3 to begin the 2026 campaign, as the bats were stifled once again in their series-opening loss to the Cincinnati Reds. For the second time in four starts, Davis went hitless, this time going 0-for-3 with three strikeouts.
The former first-overall pick is in a precarious position with the organization. If not for being the preferred catcher for ace pitcher Paul Skenes, he’d already be optioned back to Triple-A or released altogether. But the Pirates keep waiting, and the solution to getting Davis on track offensively might be implementing a more patient approach with each at-bat.
Let the Pitcher Work
The Pirates have a habit of being aggressive early in their at-bats, and Davis is one of the biggest culprits. The idea behind it makes sense. If you can take advantage of a pitcher’s mistake early, you might maximize the at-bat compared to waiting them out.
However, Davis is not letting the pitcher work in favor of swinging away. According to data from ESPN, he’s been particularly quick to the ball this season. In 13 plate appearances, he’s faced a total of 47 pitches, earning an average of 3.62 pitches per plate appearance. That figure ranks seventh on the Pirates and falls below the team average of 3.78 pitches per appearance.
Instead of making the pitcher work, Davis is making life easier for them. He takes cuts at pitches he shouldn’t, and it costs him. It’s why he’s posting a measly .182 through his first four games.
When He Connects, It’s Something Special
The Pirates are holding on to hope that the pop he showed at the collegiate level and at various times during his professional career reaches a consistent point at the MLB level.
It’s a light in the dark at this point, but there’s a few key statistics that suggest he could find his way. One is his swing speed. Through his first 13 plate appearances, he’s swinging a wildly fast bet when he connects with the ball. According to data compiled from Baseball Savant, Davis is in the 93rd percentile of all batters at the sweet spot of his swing. That's resulting in a high average exit velocity over 94 miles per hour.
In laymen’s terms, when Davis puts the barrel to the ball, he absolutely smashes it.
The goal, now, is to get that swing connecting. Maybe the key is to wait for his pitch, rather than trying to go after the pitcher from the first moments of the at-bat. A little patience could go a long way at the plate, even as the Pirates run out of patience with Davis on the roster.
Jacob is a featured writer covering the Pittsburgh Steelers for Steelers On SI and the NHL for Breakaway On SI. He also co-hosts the All Steelers Talk podcast. Previous work covering the NHL for Inside the Penguins and The Hockey News.