Henry Davis, who attended Fox Lane High School in Bedford and starred for his high school baseball team, was picked by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the #1 overall pick in the 2021 Major League Baseball draft, held in July.
According to MLB.com, Davis, a 21 year old, 6’2″ catcher, “propelled himself into award consideration in his junior year — he was one of three finalists for the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award, and a semifinalist in consideration for both the Dick Howser Trophy and Golden Spikes Award,” writes Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru.
“Davis spent his COVID-19 offseason in his hometown of Bedford, NY, and in an attempt to get some work in, reached out to Matt Barnes and Adam Ottavino and offered to catch their bullpen sessions. They each accepted, and Ottavino went even further, connecting Davis with Yankees catcher Kyle Higashioka, who gave him advice on improving his defense and receiving.”
Some believe that Davis is the best college hitter in the draft. After Fox Lane, Davis attended the University of Louisville, hittting .370 with 15 home runs last year. Defensively, Davis is highly rated, with a good arm to throw out base stealers.
“I’m just honored, honestly,” Davis said, according to MLB.com. “I’ve got a lot of amazing people in my life who have helped make this possible, so credit to them. I’m very excited.”
“He checks a lot of boxes,” Pittsburgh Pirates General Manager Ben Cherington said about Davis. “We’ve had a lot of fun getting to know him.’’
