CarGo clone? Draft prospect shows sweet swing in Desert Invitational
Jesse Borek
@JesseABorekSCOTTSDALE, Ariz. ¨C The 2023 MLB Desert Invitational has afforded numerous unique opportunities to its participants, including the ability to take hacks at big league Spring Training parks. For the University of Arizona¡¯s Chase Davis, Salt River Fields at Talking Stick became his own personal launching pad Sunday night.
Davis, MLB Pipeline¡¯s No. 51 Draft prospect in the 2023 class, kick-started the Wildcats¡¯ offense with an opposite-field two-run shot in the third. He followed up his success by swatting another homer ¨C this of the solo variety ¨C to nearly the same spot in the fifth.
If that home run swing looked familiar ¨C particularly at the spring home of the Rockies ¨C that¡¯s because former Colorado slugger Carlos Gonz¨¢lez wields considerable influence over Davis.
¡°I¡¯ve been swinging like this since I was 13 years old,¡± Davis said. ¡°People started making the comps when I was like 16, I looked the guy up and actually, we¡¯re pretty close now. We talk very often on Instagram.¡±
By the time he was done, Davis finished 3-for-5 with four RBIs and three runs scored to lead Arizona to a 7-1 victory over Michigan State. After a 1-for-7 start to the year at the plate, the 21-year-old righted the ship by staying to the left.
¡°Just opening up and allowing my hands to work I think is the easiest thing for me to create a habit of, it allows me to get to outside pitches well,¡± Davis said of his approach. ¡°[Michigan State starter Noah Matheny] challenged me with fastballs in both at-bats ¡ and I got the bat to it and put some damage on it.¡±
Davis was a heralded recruit coming out of Franklin High School in Elk Grove, Calif., but a shortened 2020 Draft led to him heading to Tucson, where he blossomed as a sophomore, landing him on the 2023 Preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List.
After playing sparingly as a freshman in 2021, Davis erupted offensively upon receiving consistent at-bats as a sophomore and posted a .997 OPS, while notching 32 extra-base hits in 63 games last year.
¡°When he is right, he¡¯s a very, very dangerous hitter,¡± Arizona manager and former big league skipper Chip Hale said. ¡°He can change the scoreboard.¡±
Evaluators see Davis as a physical specimen whose defensive prowess could match up with that of his considerable pop at the dish. Having spent most of his time with Arizona in left field ¨C where he hauled in the 27th out of Sunday¡¯s win while on the run ¨C scouts believe his speed portends to an ability to play in center once he joins the pro ranks.
Last season, the A¡¯s selected Arizona catcher Daniel Susac with the 19th overall pick. The Wildcats have produced eight first-round Draft picks since 2000; should Davis carry over his Desert Invitational slugging ways to Pac-12 Conference play and beyond, he¡¯s on track to become the latest member of that class this July.