Pittsburgh Pirates select Henry Davis with No. 1 Overall Pick of 2021 MLB Draft

The third-year catcher becomes the first player in Louisville Baseball history to be selected at No. 1 overall.

(Photo of Henry Davis: University of Louisville Athletics)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Louisville catcher Henry Davis has been selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2021 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

He becomes the first player in the history of the Louisville baseball program to be selected at No. 1 overall, and the eighth to come in the first round. Under Dan McDonnell's 15-year tenure as the head coach, he is their 88th MLB Draft Selection.

The Bedford, N.Y. native was not only one of the best hitters in the ACC this past season, but in Division I baseball. He led the Cardinals with a .370 batting average along with 15 home runs and 48 RBIs, led the league in on-base percentage (.482) and ranked in the top 10 in the league in batting average, hits, home runs, RBIs, total bases and slugging percentage. Defensively, he also threw out over 46% of potential base stealers.

Davis was a unanimous All-American, being selected by the ABCA, Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, D1Baseball, NCBWA and Perfect Game. He was also named a finalist for the Buster Posey Award, as well as a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy.

Should he sign with the Pirates, the No. 1 overall pick has a slot value of $8,415,300, and he has until Aug. 1 to sign. He would finish his Louisville career with a .337/.435/.565 slash line, 21 home runs, 84 RBIs, 19 doubles and 46 strikeouts to 52 walks in 109 games and 97 starts. 

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