J.D. Davis

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Jonathan Gregory Davis

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Biographical Information[edit]

Infielder J.D. Davis was a closer at California State University, Fullerton when not playing the field. He was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 3rd round of the 2014 amateur draft as a position player, after having been a 5th round selection by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2011 coming out of high school.

He made his debut with the Astros in August of 2017, hitting .226 with 4 homers in 24 games. In 2018, he hit .175 in 42 games for Houston. Both seasons, he made one appearance as a pitcher, and was impressive, throwing over 90 mph with good movement and recording 4 strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings. This led observers to think he might have a future as a two-way player, but he did not pursue the opportunity seriously as he was more preoccupied with establishing himself as a major league regular. On January 6, 2019, he was traded to the New York Mets along with Cody Bohanek in return for three minor leaguers: Ross Adolph, Scott Manea and Luis Santana.

He spent two and a half seasons in the Big Apple, from 2019 to August of 2022. He had a break-out season the first year, when he appeared in 140 games and hit .307, slugged .527, while hitting 22 doubles and 22 homers. His OPS+ was 137 as he played mainly left field but also appeared in 31 games at third base. In 2020, the Mets attempted to make him their regular third sacker, but this was the year of the pandemic and he struggled at the plate, falling to .247 in 56 games (the schedule had been shortened to just 60 games), with 6 homers and 19 RBIs. His OPS was still 111 in spite in the precipitous drop in batting average thanks to a higher walk rate that meant his on-base percentage hardly moved: it was .369 in 2019 and .371 that year. He continued as the team's primary third baseman in 2021 but his season was ruined by a series of injuries, primarily to his hand, that sent him to the IL in each of the first three months and again in September. As a result, he played only 73 games and lost some power, hitting just 5 homers, but he continued to be a productive hitter, with an OPS+ of 125 and a slash line of .285/.384/.436. In 2022, the Mets had their best season in years, winning 100 games, but he was no longer a starter, filling in at DH and third base. When the trading deadline came around, he was hitting .238 in 66 games with an OPS+ below 100 and the Mets decided to use him to acquire OF-1B Darin Ruf from the San Francisco Giants on August 2nd. That cost him a chance to play in the postseason, but he got more regular playing time with the Giants, appearing in 49 games the rest of the way and hitting .263 with 8 homers and 14 RBIs for an OPS+ of 142. He did not have a regular position, but got starts at third base, first base and DH.

Playing for the Giants on the first day of the 2023 season, March 30th, he became the first batter to be charged with a strike for a pitch clock violation, under the new rule introduced that season. He took too long to set up in the batter's box and was given strike one as a result. He was a regular for the Giants that season, appearing in a career-high 144 games as the team's regular third baseman and hitting .248 with 18 homers and 59 RBIs. He drew a personal best 52 walks, but also struck out 152 times, and his OBP fell to .325, his lowest since his days with the Astros; that in turn brought his OPS+ down to 105. After the season, the Giants signed free agent third baseman Matt Chapman, a much better defensive player, to a huge free agent contract, making it uncertain how he fit into their future plans. Indeed, he was released during spring training in 2024, then was signed by the Oakland Athletics. There was a job for the taking with the A's at third base, but he was outhit by another off-season acquisition, Abraham Toro and ended up as a back-up, hitting .236 in 39 games. He was designated for assignment on June 18th, but he caught a break when the New York Yankees acquired him in a trade for IF Jordan Groshans on June 23rd. The Yankees had received disappointing production from their third basemen thus far, with Oswaldo Cabrera and D.J. LeMahieu sharing the job, so there was an opportunity for him.

Notable Achievements[edit]

  • 20-Home Run Seasons: 1 (2019)
  • Won one World Series with the Houston Astros in 2017 (he did not play in the World Series)

Further Reading[edit]

  • Bryan Hoch: "Yankees trade for J.D. Davis to add corner infield depth", mlb.com, June 23, 2024. [1]

Related Sites[edit]

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