GLENDALE, Ariz. -- A Henry Davis Fall League homer has been simmering beneath the surface for weeks, but it finally boiled over during Surprise’s victory Friday night with a 404-foot shot to left field in the fifth.

Hours before Pittsburgh’s top prospect enjoyed a multihit night during the Saguaros’ 7-2 win over the Desert Dogs, Davis was at the heart of a pregame home run derby showdown alongside his teammates that wrapped up batting practice. He brought that swing right into game action, ripping a single in the second before teeing off on his roundtripper, which left the bat at 101 mph.

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Everything was coming up Bucs for Surprise on Friday at Camelback Ranch, as Davis got to work behind the dish with the club’s top-ranked pitching prospect, Quinn Priester. The right-hander whiffed a pair of batters over his two frames, yielding an unearned run with one hit and one walk to his ledger. He exited early as a precautionary measure but still managed to impress.

“He was great,” Davis said of Pittsburgh’s No. 3 prospect. “I mean, honestly the sharpest his stuff has been since he’s been here, in my opinion. Great execution.”

Davis and Priester -- both Top 100 prospects -- worked together as a tandem three times during the regular season, twice at Double-A Altoona and once at Single-A Bradenton. In those starts, the club’s first-rounder from 2019 pitched to a 2.08 ERA.

Davis, who mashed five of his first six AFL hits for doubles, incurred a backswing to the mask on Oct. 13, forcing him to the sidelines for a few days out of an abundance of caution. Even with the time missed, he has utilized his opportunity with Surprise to further hone his defensive abilities. His throwing arm already grades out as his premier tool per MLB Pipeline (70, on a 20-80 scale), but working with a multiplicity of new hurlers from other organizations has been a development boon.

“We’ve had some pretty phenomenal arms,” Davis said. “So far, some pretty great performances. It’s made my job easy, but it’s been really great to work with them.”

A left wrist ailment zapped Davis of valuable on-field experience during the 2022 regular season. Despite the malady necessitating two extended stints on the injured list, he ascended as high as Double-A Altoona after just 36 Minor League contests over his first two pro campaigns. That time off was largely tied to the 23-year-old being drilled with an astounding 20 pitches in just 59 outings.

“I don’t know how much more I can try and get out of the way when they’re hitting me in the back or wherever,” Davis said prior to the Fall League. “But I’m going to try and do my best to protect my hands and other areas that are more vulnerable.”

Davis was plunked for the third time in just nine AFL appearances Friday. He ultimately came around to score later in the seventh, a modicum of payback. The first overall pick from the 2021 Draft has looked every bit of the advanced bat that the Pirates sought when they chose him, slashing .308/.459/.615 in an albeit smaller sample size. He compiled 10 roundtrippers and 42 RBIs across four levels this season, notching an .852 OPS in the process.

While Davis cranked his homer in the traditional, over-the-fence fashion, Rangers No. 7 prospect Luisangel Acuña got his in a more unconventional -- and unofficial -- route. The shortstop dropped an RBI single into left in the fourth, kicking off the scoring for the Saguaros, but it wouldn’t end there. An overthrow from the left fielder led to an error from the opposing pitcher, with the ball hurtling back toward where it first landed; in the end, Acuña dashed around the bags with a Little League home run.