Chicago Cubs: Top prospect Brennen Davis talks preparation for 2022

Just one step away from the big leagues, Chicago Cubs’ top prospect Brennen Davis is motivated to have a productive 2022 season.

Although he will begin the 2022 season in AAA with the Iowa Cubs, Brennen Davis is excited about the upcoming baseball season. Not only is Davis the Chicago Cubs‘ top-ranked prospect, but he also ranks 15th in MLB.com’s Top 100 Prospect Rankings.

This 22-year-old phenom was drafted immediately out of high school back in the 2018 MLB Draft. In high school, Davis was also a star on the basketball court, but baseball would end up being his main focus for the years to come. At 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, Davis provides a projectable power bat to add to any lineup.

It wasn’t an ideal fairy tale beginning to Davis’ professional baseball career. Following his draft selection, while enjoying brief run at the rookie level in 2018, a right-index finger injury would begin to limit his playing time. Davis hit .298 in 18 games in rookie ball, and finished with a .305 average in 50 games in Single-A. Subsequently, the 2020 season was cancelled entirely due to the pandemic.

It wasn’t until 2021, after putting in many hours and work, when Davis would have his time to shine. Traveling back to spring training in 2021, he received a concussion and a broken nose to begin the season. Nevertheless, he eventually climbed the ranks through South Bend (High-A) and would reach Triple-A at age 21. Showcasing his unmatched combination of speed/power in the Minors, Davis would homer four times in just 15 games with Iowa. In addition to that, at Coors Field at the 2021 Futures Game, Davis would go yard twice and walk way with MVP honors. The world was officially on notice that this kid has what it takes and has a future in a Cubs uniform.

With expectations for Brennen Davis progressing by the day, I was able to chat with the Chicago Cubs prospect about this upcoming 2022 season.

How has your offseason been? What have you been working on the most?

Davis: “The offseason was great. Felt a little short sadly. I got to see and do a lot of fun stuff in between training for the upcoming year. I’ve been refining my swing and approach this offseason and just continuing to get stronger.”

How does it feel to be named by MLB.com as a top-15 prospect in all of baseball? What does it mean to you personally?

Davis: “It feels good to be recognized for my hard work, but ultimately I want to be a big leaguer not a prospect, so I don’t hold that much weight in rankings. But it’s a great honor.”

What are you most looking forward to this upcoming season?

Davis: “I’m looking forward to getting back out there and competing with my guys again. And continuing to build off the progress from last year and make my MLB debut at some point this year.”

What have been some of your favorite moments thus far in your professional career?

Davis: “Some of my favorite moments have definitely been the playoff run in South Bend. That was such a fun time winning with the guys you’ve been grinding with all year.”

What are some of your personal goals for this season if you don’t mind sharing? And, if not, what do you think are the expectations for the Cubs franchise as a whole moving forward?

Davis: “Expectations I put on myself are high as always. As a whole, this is going to be a big year for the Cubs to continue to grow and see what kind of pieces we have in our minor leagues. Hopefully everyone stays healthy and is able to compete and help the teams win from the top down.”

As a former baseball player myself, I used to get asked this by coaches/scouts all the time. What would you rather do: Hit 40-plus home runs or have a .350 or better average in a season?

Davis: “I’d rather hit .350 there would be a lot less days where you go home a little mad because you didn’t get a hit, hahaha.”

In conclusion, expectations are high for Davis to produce this season, from himself, the Cubs’ organization, and baseball fans everywhere. He has worked hard to get to where he is at right now, it sounds like he has the pedal to the metal, and is ready to break out even more in 2022 and solidify his spot on the everyday roster in Chicago.

In a recent chat with the Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs manager Davis Ross spoke about Davis starting the season in Triple-A Iowa.

"“He’s made a really good impression, Just his movements [in the outfield], he got a lot of at-bats. It’s hard to judge guys off such a short spring training, but you can tell he’s just starting to fill out that body and he looks the part, had a great season last year, and continues to build on that. And hopefully we will see him really soon.”"

Considered as a key component to the growth of the Cubs’ organization, Davis hopes that 2022 is the season he finds himself an everyday Cubbie.