Bullet point summary by AI
- The Pirates face a critical decision regarding their roster as they struggle to stay competitive in the NL Central.
- Henry Davis, who is tied to the team’s ace, must be evaluated for offensive shortcomings despite strong defensive value.
- The next move could reshape the team’s young core and determine whether Pittsburgh prioritizes talent development or immediate wins.
Under normal circumstances, the Pirates shouldn’t make Paul Skenes angry. This isn’t your typical Pirates team, though, as Pittsburgh has invested far too much money in the on-field product simply to watch it wilt and die in late May. That means some tough conversations may need to be had with Skenes and, more importantly, his battery-mate.
The Pirates have lost seven of their last 10 games are entered play on Sunday just barely hanging onto NL Central relevance. Much of that can be blamed on lackluster starting pitching and a lineup that has yet to replace the production lost when Ryan O’Hearn went on the injured list earlier this week. There is hope in Pittsburgh, though, in the form of a youth movement best served cold. The Pirates called up Jhostynxon Garcia and Esmerlyn Valdez earlier this week. Endy Rodriguez is also raking, while Joey Bart nears his own return from injury. What that means for Henry Davis, who has emerged as Skenes’ personal catcher, remains to be seen.
Henry Davis isn’t the player the Pirates thought he’d be
Davis is a former No. 1 overall pick. At the time, the selection surprised MLB Draft pundits, and seemed like an underslot selection so the Pirates could save some money. That’s not what you like to see from a franchise in the middle of a rebuild. But that was a long time ago in baseball terms, as Davis was drafted in 2021. Since then, Davis has made his way through the minor leagues and formed a friendship with Skenes that has kept him protected on the big-league roster.
That simply has to change. While keeping Skenes happy has to be among the Pirates top priorities, even Pittsburgh’s ace would have to acknowledge that Davis hasn’t been good enough as a big-leaguer.
|
Season |
OPS |
|---|---|
|
2023 |
.653 |
|
2024 |
.453 |
|
2025 |
.512 |
|
2026 |
.501 |
Davis is hitting just .139 in over 100 at-bats. He has a .501 OPS, which is a full 200 points below the league average (and then some). While the Louisville product is a capable defender, the dropoff between he and Endy Rodriguez and Joey Bart isn’t severe enough to keep him on the roster just for Skenes’ sake.
Why Paul Skenes might not be happy with Pirates demoting Henry Davis
Davis has served as Skenes personal catcher for some time now. While Davis is a fine defensive catcher and manages Pittsburgh’s pitching staff well, the holes in his game offensively are becoming impossible to ignore.
Demoting Davis again would be a tough pill for Ben Cherington in particular to swallow, but if the Pirates are serious about competing for a playoff spot in 2026, they can ill-afford to waste another spot at the bottom of their lineup. Right now, they are doing just that in any game Davis starts. Sure, Henry provides some pop every now and then, but he is generally horrible with runners in scoring position.
Henry Davis compiled a .102/.184/.118 slash line in 216 career plate appearances prior to making another out today. 2-for-29 this year in RISP
— John Toperzer (@PiratesTalk) May 23, 2026
Skenes is a generational talent. Frankly, it shouldn’t matter who is calling the pitches behind home plate for him. The 23-year-old righty won the NL Cy Young last season and should be in the running again in 2026. The Pirates value Skenes’ opinion on all matters, but that should not include a player who will soon be the third-best offensive catcher on the roster.
Look, I was at Davis’ debut back in 2023. I thought he was the second-coming of Jason Kendall (yes, low expectations I know). He hasn’t been that, and the Pirates selected him No. 1 overall in part thanks to his bat. Until that tool transitions well to the MLB level, Davis is wasting space on the bench that could go to other promising young players who can help the Pirates win now.
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