PEORIA, Ariz. -- Brennen Davis’ ceiling appeared limitless. After hammering a pair of home runs en route to MVP honors at the 2021 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game, Cooperstown was already calling -- they wanted to display his bat at the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Just months later, when MLB Pipeline unveiled its 2022 preseason Top 100 Prospects list, Davis checked in at No. 15 overall. Every player above him on that list has since gone on to make their Major League debut, a moment that remains elusive for the 26-year-old, who is a non-roster invite to Mariners camp this spring.
“I never wanted to be a prospect. I wanted to be a big leaguer,” said Davis. “The hype, it obviously opens eyes and opens doors, and I'm blessed to have had that status at one point, but it didn't do anything for my career. It didn’t do anything to help a team win and that's what I'm looking to do. I don't care about rankings or anything. I care about my preparation and what I can do.”
What Davis can still unquestionably do is hit. He’s shown as much during his first five Cactus League appearances, going 6-for-11 with three doubles and two homers, scorching the ball at an average of 97.3 mph with a max exit velo of 114.1.
“He's really swung the bat,” manager Dan Wilson said. “We've seen him handle right field pretty well, but what he's done with the bat has been really impressive. He's got a lot of pop in there, but his ability to use the whole field -- he doubled down the left-field line the other day, doubled to right-center -- really kind of fits in with what we talk about here, so it's been impressive early.”
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“I know I'm a good player and everybody goes through streaks, I'm just trying to be as consistent as I can,” said Davis. “I'm more concerned about my preparation for the day and my work. It's showing up as results right now, which is great, but I know I can produce.”
Just three years ago during Cactus League action, Davis roamed the outfield as a Cubs prospect, flanked by what is now a pair of big leaguers in Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kevin Alcántara. The trio was hailed as the future outfield group for Chicago. But, as has so often been the case for Davis, injuries got in the way.
A brief synopsis of the setbacks Davis has incurred:
• 2019: Right index finger injuries
• 2020: Covid-19 pandemic
• 2021: Concussion, broken nose
• 2022: Back surgery
• 2023: Left thigh strain, core muscle surgery
• 2024: Broken left ankle
It’s understandably difficult to find any kind of rhythm at the plate when perpetually battling something. Davis’ season high in games in a Minor League season is 99, and that was back in 2021. It’s been a constant process for him to revamp his mechanics, and finding a routine in pro ball after being selected out of the high school ranks has exacerbated the process. After signing as a Minor League free agent with the Yankees in December 2024, he once again battled injuries last season but also crushed 17 homers in 50 games.
“After my seventh season, I feel like I kind of had a good grasp on what I wanted to do and what kind of player I wanted to be,” Davis said.
With Seattle, there is a sense of comfort. He gets to play alongside Casey Legumina, a brief teammate during their days at Basha HS in Chandler, Ariz., and he gets to continue honing his craft under the tutelage of a coaching and development staff that he believes in. Finding what voices to listen to -- and which ones to block out -- has proven easier said than done.
“I would say it took me probably six or seven years to really understand my swing,” said Davis. “In the course of those first six years, I was all ears to anybody who had an opinion. Everybody just wants to help and it's hard to turn away a helping hand. I take myself as a pretty coachable guy, but being able to buy into something and believe in it and have it produce at the same time [is different]. There's so many opinions, so which one's right?
“I've always heard great things about what they do over here, I heard there were great people. … They're right on the cusp of a championship-caliber team, and that's what I wanna be a part of.”