Brennen Davis flips power switch on for I-Cubs
Just two years ago, Brennen Davis was the star of the Cubs’ farm system and one of the most highly regarded prospects in all of baseball. But it’s been a difficult couple of years for Davis, whose career stalled was slowed by injuries and inconsistencies. That makes his current hot
Just two years ago,
That makes his current hot streak all the more encouraging. Now Chicago's No. 23 prospect, Davis has homered in four consecutive games and five of his last six, including Triple-A Iowa’s 10-4 win over Syracuse on Thursday.
In the fourth inning, Davis tattooed an 88.2 mph slider by right-hander Justin Jarvis (Mets). It left the bat at 113.7 mph and traveled 430 feet, per Statcast, clanking off the top of the scoreboard beyond the wall in left-center field at NBT Bank Stadium.
It was the latest example of the upside Davis has shown he’s capable of since 2018, when the Cubs made him an over-slot second-round pick out of the Arizona prep ranks. By the end of the pandemic two years later, Davis was widely regarded as the Cubs’ best position player prospect, and he won MVP honors at the 2021 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game. For a while, he looked like the Cubs’ center fielder of the future.
The problem was that injuries seemed to hamper Davis’ ability to stay on the field for very long. He broke his right index finger in 2019, suffered a concussion in Spring Training 2021, underwent surgery to correct a nest of blood vessels pushing against a nerve in his back in 2022 and had core muscle surgery in 2023. This year, he missed time due to another concussion. He appeared in only 124 games in ‘22 and ‘23 combined, and few at full strength.
Those injuries impacted Davis’ development, particularly as a hitter. His production suffered to such a degree that he wasn't on the Cubs’ Top 30 Prospects list at the start of this season, although Davis vaulted back onto it during last week's ranking update. Still, he remains further down the depth chart as Chicago’s system improved around him.
His past week at Iowa indicates Davis might be finding his footing again. Still only 24 years old, there is time for him to bounce back from all the injuries and make an impact at the big league level. Currently, the Cubs outfield picture is packed with veterans, with top prospects Pete Crow-Armstrong (MLB No. 15) and Owen Caissie (MLB No. 37) behind them.
For now, the best thing Davis can do is stay healthy and keep hitting. He's showing off his power (six homers) and on-base ability (.413 OBP), good for a .913 OPS through 28 games so far in 2024.
Joe Trezza is an contributor for MiLB.com.