PITTSBURGH (AP) — Paul Skenes and Henry Davis knew they were going to make history the moment their names were called out by Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred.
When it finally happened on Monday night in Pittsburgh’s 10-3 victory over Washington, the first battery of players selected with the top overall pick in the draft simply shrugged.
“All records are meant to be broken, right?” Skenes said. “It’s cool.”
Also overdue.
While Skenes, selected first overall in 2023, has been a sensation since his first appearance on the mound at PNC Park 11 months ago, Davis, the top pick in 2021, is still a work in progress.
The unintentional history Skenes and Davis made in front of just over 10,000 fans on a windy spring night speaks volumes about their wildly different careers.
Davis, who was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis over the weekend after starting catcher Joey Bart suffered back problems, was not in the starting lineup and entered the game after Endy Rodriguez sustained a cut on his right index finger two batters into the first inning.
Enter Davis, who rushed onto the field, slipped a mask over his head, and took a look at the wristband detailing Skenes’ game plan. Davis had caught Skenes before, but this was the first time it really mattered.
There seemed to be a few hiccups between them. Skenes cruised through six innings with relative ease, just six days after having the worst start of his young career. Skenes retired 15 of 16 pitches, including a pair of groundouts against Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews, giving him short-term bragging rights over his former LSU teammate.
Skenes made a point of praising Davis, whose slow defensive development at one of the game’s most demanding positions has been one of the primary reasons for him spending the majority of the last two years bouncing between the majors and minors.
“(Henry) can call a game,” Skenes said after moving to 2-1. “He was prepared.” It’s not surprising. I’ve been with him for about two years now. If you want to understand why he is the type of player he is, you don’t have to look far. “For him to come into a difficult situation, call the game, and catch as well as he did says a lot.”
Davis is never concerned with preparation because he prefers to immerse himself in his work. However, the work has not yielded results. Davis entered Monday hitting just.188 in 101 games, and his inability to establish himself as an everyday player nearly four years after being drafted exemplifies a franchise that, despite its considerable young pitching talent, has struggled to identify and develop position players.
Pittsburgh’s lineup against Washington’s Brad Lord included only three players who had been drafted or signed by the club and then developed into major league players. Andrew McCutchen and Adam Frazier are on their second tour with the club after spending some of their careers elsewhere.
Skenes was complimenting Davis when he said that most of his teammates do not consider him a “1-1,” which is baseball jargon for going first overall. Skenes meant that Davis’ quiet demeanor contrasts sharply with his draft profile.
To almost prove the point, Skenes wore a suit and addressed a dozen reporters, answering questions about everything from the black-and-gold necklaces McCutchen gave the team to the way he channeled his girlfriend, LSU gymnast/influencer Livvy Dunne, while somersaulting to avoid a collision with Washington’s Nasim Nunez at third.
Davis emerged from the clubhouse about 20 minutes after Skenes left, dressed casually in a grey long-sleeved shirt and green pants, with McCutchen’s necklace still in place after one of his best days as a professional.
He spoke politely, using short, measured sentences. Wearing the necklace for “fun.” Every catcher who isn’t in the lineup makes sure to be ready. Monday night happened to be his turn.
“So just being ready to jump in and know what (Skenes) wanted to do and be on his page pretty quickly, that was the goal,” said Davis.
Davis made that goal. Now comes another, far more important one: seize the opportunity created by Bart and Rodriguez’s injuries.
The pirates are scuffling. Fan unrest and highly visible missteps by the organization off the field have coincided with a less-than-stellar product on the field, creating an environment in which general manager Ben Cherington and manager Derek Shelton — both in their sixth year — appear to be under pressure.
Pittsburgh bet heavily on Davis. That bet has not yet paid off. Nobody is more aware of this than the soft-spoken catcher, who is now inextricably linked to Skenes beyond the number next to their name in the draft.
“It was cool to get the opportunity,” Davis said. “I’m glad we got the win. It’s wonderful.”
