April 25, 2014
D.J. Davis in fielding practice. (Toronto Observer)
The Lansing Lugnuts’ outfield is in good hands with center fielder D.J. Davis. Known as one of the Blue Jays most athletic prospects, Davis brings an excellent blend of speed, power, and athleticism to the ballpark every day.
All of Davis’ athletic attributes is what made him one of the 2012 MLB draft’s biggest prospects. Davis received interest from many teams, but none more than that from the Toronto Blue Jays. Davis wasn’t completely sure where he was going, but in the back of his mind he thought it would be the Blue Jays and he was right as Toronto selected him with the 17th overall pick.
“It was exciting to get drafted, especially in the first round,” Davis explains. “A lot of teams showed interest in me, but the Blue Jays showed more interest, so I had a feeling they were going to pick me and they did.”
What made Davis’s pick even more special was he was selected by the same organization his father Wayne played for from 1985 to 1988.
“It’s great to be selected by the same team my father played for,” stated Davis. “Being picked by any team is special, but for it to be the same organization my father played for, made it even more special.”
Currently in Lansing, Davis is batting .246 with five doubles, a triple, a home run, and 15 RBIs. The speedy outfielder has also stole three bases and displayed his above-average range making tremendous plays in the outfield.
Davis has improved in many areas since becoming a professional ball player. Two areas he feels he’s improved a lot are his hitting and his base running skills. Davis’s improvement on the base paths has come about from the help of Blue Jays base running coach Tim Raines.
“My hitting has improved a lot since becoming a professional,” explained Davis. “In high school, I didn’t hit to the opposite field a lot. Since becoming a pro, I’ve learned how to hit the ball to the opposite field with more consistency.
“Tim Raines is great,” stated Davis. “I’ve never had a coach that taught me more about base running than him. My speed is definitely a strength of mine and I try to understand pitchers routines, so I can notice when they make a small mistake that I can take advantage of.”
Davis is also enjoying the opportunity to work with hitting coach Ken Huckaby, for a second consecutive year. The two worked together in Bluefield last season and he likes his approach to the game, especially his big league experience.
“Ken Huckaby is a good person,” stated Davis. “We get things done the right way. Obviously making it to the big leagues, you got to be doing something right, so it’s great learning from a guy like that.”
Enjoying the growth he’s seen from Davis the past two seasons Huckaby feels the fans in Lansing are in for a treat all season.
“D.J. Davis is going to run all over the place,” explains Huckaby. “D.J. is a competitor that plays hard every day. This season he’s swinging to contact more, he’s striking out less, and taking more walks. I’ve really liked what I’ve seen from D.J. so far this season.”
“D.J. has the ability to hit the ball hard and hopefully the fans in Lansing will get to see that all season.”