Pirates' Henry Davis Breaks Spring Training Slump With HR
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PITTSBURGH — Henry Davis has had a poor showing from the plate in Spring Training, but started off this most recent contest the best way he could.
Davis started in the leadoff spot for the Pirates and hit a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla. on March 14.
He got a second-pitch changeup near the bottom of the zone from Orioles left-handed starting pitcher Trevor Rogers and crushed it, sending it 100.6 mph off the bat and 396 feet over the left field wall.
HENRY DAVIS LEADOFF HOME RUN ‼️ pic.twitter.com/OAWSO6LoWT
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) March 14, 2026
It was a big-time home run for Davis, who came into this game with no hits in 17 at-bats over eight Grapefruit League contests and needed to get anything going.
Davis also walked with the bases loaded in the bottom of the second inning for his second RBI of the game and put the Pirates up 2-0. That was his third walk of the season, marking his fourth time getting on base.
Henry Davis' Troubles From the Plate
The Pirates made Davis the first overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft out of Louisville, anticipating he would become a great hitter for them in the near future.
Pittsburgh also moved Davis in different positions, like starting 49 contests in right field in the major leagues in 2023, as they saw his bat as the most important part of his game.
Davis has struggled massively from the plate in his MLB career, slashing .181/.262/.294 for an OPS of .556 in 186 games, with 105 hits in 581 at-bats.
This continued last season, as Davis slashed 167/.234/.278 for an OPS of .512 in 87 games in 2025, but he found another way to help out the Pirates.
Davis instead developed into a fantastic defensive catcher, improving from -4 defensive runs saved (DRS) in 2024 to +8 DRS in 2025 and earning consideration for a Gold Glove Award.
He also became the main catcher for right-handed starting pitcher Paul Skenes, who won the National League Cy Young Award and will do so again for Opening Day vs. the New York Mets at Citi Field on March 26.
Davis is also the main catcher for Pirates right-handed starting pitcher Bubba Chandler, one of the top pitching prospects in baseball.
The 26-year-old is looking at this first full season at the major league level in 2026, but will have to show improved production from the plate to ensure that role for the future, as he has simply not hit good enough in the major leagues thus far.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.