Henry Davis' surge at the plate has been notable. His 2-for-4 performance with a two-run home run and double in the Pirates' 5-4 win over the Phillies tonight at PNC Park showed that. However, an underrated aspect of Davis' 2025 surge may be his pitch-calling ability.
Take Trea Turner's ninth-inning at-bat against David Bednar as an example. The quick infielder was 3 for 4 at that point with a double, two singles and two RBIs.
Davis, who replaced Endy Rodriguez in the second inning, started Turner off with one of Bednar's patented curveballs and it produced arguably Turner's worst swing. He was out in front and off balance. Davis may have pivoted to Bednar's fastball or splitter for the next pitch, if not for that swing. But, Davis has spoken this year about sticking to a pitcher's strengths and making decisions based on what he's seeing from hitters.
Turner wasn't close to Bednar's curveball, so, Davis went back to it again and Turner fouled it off. With an 0-2 count, Davis went to it one more time:
The ball bounced in the dirt, producing another ugly swing from Turner. It concluded a scoreless frame for Bednar, who struck out the side in a tie game.
"I was just kinda trusting Henry, trusting what he's seeing out there, and kinda continuing to attack and stay aggressive," Bednar said of Davis' pitch calling.
It's not just Bednar that's putting his faith in the former No. 1 overall pick. Several pitchers have praised Davis for his work and preparation this year.
Caleb Ferguson, who pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings, said Davis has a knack for instilling confidence in his pitchers, which is huge in the game of baseball, Ferguson said. Whether it's at a table in the cafeteria or in the clubhouse before a game, Davis is constantly telling pitchers what they are good at. However, his ability to adjust in-game is special.
"When we talk about Hank being dialed in with certain things, that's the perfect example to use," Ferguson said. "It's no secret what Bednar's best pitch is. When you go up there and you think you're getting it and it comes in 10 miles an hour slower and is moving a lot more, it throws the hitter off. To Hank's credit, that's where he shows guys the confidence in what can be done."
In what was setting up to be a big year for Davis, he's risen to the occasion multiple times, but he's doing it in several ways. Over his last seven games, he's hitting .240/.269/.560 with two home runs and five RBIs. When he's not playing, he's staying locked in on the bench and is spending countless hours preparing for hitters while also putting extra time in the cage. It hasn't gone unnoticed by the pitching staff, his teammates, or his coaches, and it's paying off.
"It takes a mindset to be prepared to do that and Henry shows that every single day," Don Kelly said.
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THE ASYLUM
Greg Macafee
6:42 am - 06.07.2025NORTH SHOREGoing Deep: Davis' pitch-calling prowess earning trust
Henry Davis' surge at the plate has been notable. His 2-for-4 performance with a two-run home run and double in the Pirates' 5-4 win over the Phillies tonight at PNC Park showed that. However, an underrated aspect of Davis' 2025 surge may be his pitch-calling ability.
Take Trea Turner's ninth-inning at-bat against David Bednar as an example. The quick infielder was 3 for 4 at that point with a double, two singles and two RBIs.
Davis, who replaced Endy Rodriguez in the second inning, started Turner off with one of Bednar's patented curveballs and it produced arguably Turner's worst swing. He was out in front and off balance. Davis may have pivoted to Bednar's fastball or splitter for the next pitch, if not for that swing. But, Davis has spoken this year about sticking to a pitcher's strengths and making decisions based on what he's seeing from hitters.
Turner wasn't close to Bednar's curveball, so, Davis went back to it again and Turner fouled it off. With an 0-2 count, Davis went to it one more time:
The ball bounced in the dirt, producing another ugly swing from Turner. It concluded a scoreless frame for Bednar, who struck out the side in a tie game.
"I was just kinda trusting Henry, trusting what he's seeing out there, and kinda continuing to attack and stay aggressive," Bednar said of Davis' pitch calling.
It's not just Bednar that's putting his faith in the former No. 1 overall pick. Several pitchers have praised Davis for his work and preparation this year.
Caleb Ferguson, who pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings, said Davis has a knack for instilling confidence in his pitchers, which is huge in the game of baseball, Ferguson said. Whether it's at a table in the cafeteria or in the clubhouse before a game, Davis is constantly telling pitchers what they are good at. However, his ability to adjust in-game is special.
"When we talk about Hank being dialed in with certain things, that's the perfect example to use," Ferguson said. "It's no secret what Bednar's best pitch is. When you go up there and you think you're getting it and it comes in 10 miles an hour slower and is moving a lot more, it throws the hitter off. To Hank's credit, that's where he shows guys the confidence in what can be done."
In what was setting up to be a big year for Davis, he's risen to the occasion multiple times, but he's doing it in several ways. Over his last seven games, he's hitting .240/.269/.560 with two home runs and five RBIs. When he's not playing, he's staying locked in on the bench and is spending countless hours preparing for hitters while also putting extra time in the cage. It hasn't gone unnoticed by the pitching staff, his teammates, or his coaches, and it's paying off.
"It takes a mindset to be prepared to do that and Henry shows that every single day," Don Kelly said.
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
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