J.D. Davis
J.D. Davis has flown under the radar up to this point. Though he has little experience in Triple-A, he’s shown about all he needs to in Double-A.
That being said, he could provide some insurance at third base, especially if Bregman were to suffer an injury. Like other infielders, it’s difficult when Gonzalez is essentially the backup at every position.
Davis joined Houston for a short stint, smacking four home runs in 68 plate appearances. He had just 14 hits overall and compiled 20 strikeouts as well.
Although few analysts dial in on players’ defensive abilities, Davis’ could hold him back from promotion. He didn’t commit any errors while on the Astros but accumulated 13 in more than 600 innings in Double-A.
Bregman was not one of the team’s best fielders. But he had just 10 errors last season. His 2016 campaign was much more inspiring, considering he saved a handful of runs on defense. That wasn’t necessarily the case in 2017.
However, Davis has plenty of issues to resolve before leaping into the MLB. He enjoyed a fantastic stretch in Fresno for 16 games, but he needs to produce at a consistent rate. The infielder sported a solid average in each of his four years in the system – nothing spectacular.
Davis possesses a similar strand of power as White and Reed. Yet, he hasn’t had much time to showcase it in the higher levels of the system. Thus, the front office needs to see more out of him at a higher level.
However, if he shreds it up in Triple-A, he may be back in Houston sooner rather than later.