SAN FRANCISCO -- In 2023, Paul Faulk was working as a part-time scout for the Giants when he signed two non-drafted free agents out of the Coastal Plain League: outfielder Bo Davidson and right-hander Trent Harris.
Three years later, Faulk got to watch both players complete their unlikely paths to the big leagues with the Giants. Davidson, ranked as San Francisco’s No. 8 prospect by MLB Pipeline, made his Major League debut on Monday, allowing him to suit up alongside Harris, who earned his first callup on Aug. 7.
“It's come full circle,” Harris said before the Giants’ 4-2 loss to the Twins on Wednesday afternoon at Oracle Park. “It's really cool to see Bo up here with me, as well. A couple of diamonds in the rough. That's all.”
Faulk has followed Davidson and Harris’ ascents closely in recent years, so he was thrilled to get a chance to fly to San Francisco to watch the pair in action against the Twins.
“It's great just seeing them right here on the field,” Faulk said. “It's unbelievable. [Senior director of amateur scouting] Michael [Holmes], he called me and said, ‘Hey, I want you to go to the game.’ And that's what I did. I got the first flight out Tuesday out of Myrtle Beach. I'm just happy to be here, man.”
Faulk was an early proponent of the 24-year-old Davidson, a left-handed slugger who drew comparisons to Barry Bonds after slashing .412/.508/.876 with 16 homers in 2023 as a sophomore at Caldwell Community College in Hudson, N.C.
Faulk quickly looped in area scout DJ Jauss, who came away similarly impressed after making several trips to see Davidson play in person. Davidson continued to put up big numbers when he participated in the CPL, a wood-bat collegiate summer showcase circuit, prompting the Giants to sign him for $50,000.
That modest investment is now paying off, as Davidson has emerged as one of the Giants’ top outfield prospects alongside 2024 fourth-round Draft pick Dakota Jordan (No. 7). Davidson, who departed Wednesday’s game against the Twins after fouling a ball off his right foot in the bottom of the sixth, batted .290 with an .888 OPS and 20 stolen bases across 125 games between Double-A Richmond and Triple-A Sacramento before earning his first big league opportunity with the Giants.
“He looks like [Bonds] when he's hitting,” Faulk said. “To me, he does. But he's got his real name now. He's Bo now. He’s not Barry. He's Bo. I'm just proud of him. So proud.”
Davidson said he was trying not to put too much pressure on himself over the final week of the regular season, but his September callup should give him a chance to start separating himself from a long list of players who will be vying for spots in the Giants’ outfield next year. That group currently includes other youngsters like Drew Gilbert, Jonah Cox, Victor Bericoto, Scott Bandura, Turner Hill and Grant McCray.
“In this moment, for the Giants, I’m going to give them the best I can and show them what I’ve been doing in the Minors,” Davidson said.
Harris, 27, was a bit of a late bloomer in college, as he was a two-way player at High Point University and Division II UNC Pembroke in North Carolina before he decided to head to the CPL to continue pitching in 2023. A dominant showing there put him on Faulk’s radar and eventually landed him a $10,000 signing bonus from the Giants.
“He told me, ‘Hey, I’ll just take a bus ticket,’” Faulk said. “‘That’s all I want.’ I can’t even remember what we gave him, but it’s irrelevant. He’s really worked hard.”
Harris, the son of former Padres right-hander Greg Harris, is known for his over-the-top arm slot, which helps play up his big curveball. The younger Harris is looking like a good bet to be part of the Giants’ bullpen mix moving forward, as he’s logged a 2.11 ERA with 27 strikeouts over 21 1/3 innings in 20 appearances for San Francisco this year.
Harris and Davidson competed against each other during their days in the CPL in '23, but they’re now grateful to be on the same side and get a chance to continue to show what they can do with the Giants.
“I think our stories are very similar,” Harris said. “Just being from North Carolina and being signed by the same guy, I think it’s just really creative. I think it's a really cool experience how we're both here at the same time. We kind of came up together. Just to see [Davidson] grow throughout the Minor Leagues was really cool to see.”