Houston Astros: Corpus Christi Player Spotlight – J.D. Davis

The Houston Astros’ MiLB Hooks are on Fire

The Corpus Christi Hooks are absolutely on fire recently. The team has gotten contributions from everywhere, with both pitching and hitting are getting it done for the Hooks. One guy who has really contributed during this ten-game winning streak is third baseman/designated hitter J.D. Davis. After a slow start to the season for Davis, his game has really progressed during the last couple of weeks.

Davis nearly started his professional baseball career straight out of high school in 2011 when the Tampa Bay Rays drafted him, but thankfully for the Astros, he chose to attend college instead.

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Three years later the Astros nabbed the talented third baseman in the third round of the 2014 draft. Davis has had a fairly basic path through the Minor Leagues, making his way through the levels of Class-A to on to Double-A without ever having to be called back down.

Some of the strengths that Davis possesses on the field are the ability to get on base via the walk and capacity to hit home runs. Both of these strengths fit right into the Astros’ system. One weakness that Davis has shown in his career is fielding, having a .932 or lower fielding percentage in his first two Minor League years. While at Tri-City, he even had a .871 fielding percentage.

This could warrant a position change for Davis, potentially to the outfield (where he has played a few games in his career) or to full-time designated hitter.

This season so far for Davis has been a rollercoaster. As of late he has turned around a slow start and is really starting to see the ball better. He has his batting average back up to .254, and he has also hit seven home runs and driven in 21 runs. In particularly outstanding game for the third baseman last night, he hit three home runs and drove in 5 runs. The good play is a positive sign in the right direction for the young player.

What is Davis’s future with the Houston Astros organization? Well, the main problem is the position he plays. Third base in the Astros’ farm is loaded with talent, with Luis Valbuena, Colin Moran, and Alex Bregman (should he continue the transition) ahead of Davis in the depth chart. The designated hitter position is also loaded for the Astros, with Evan Gattis, Tyler White, and A.J. Reed playing both that and a different position.

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A transition to the outfield may be necessary for Davis, but for now, he just needs to focus on improving even more. For the Astros, having too much talent at a position is a way better situation than having too little.

*All stats via milb.com*