Chase Davis is looking to become the next first-round pick from Elk Grove, California. If he gets drafted in the first round he would join other top prospects Dylan Carlson and Nick Madrigal who both also hail from Elk Grove but played at a different high school.
The Franklin High School senior comes from a family of athletes. His father Tommy and his three uncles all were athletes in college. Chase’s mother was a multisport star in High School and played volleyball in college.
Davis has already signed with the University of Arizona but he was quoted as saying, “To think that in a few months things could change for me financially is very crazy.”
Davis also has former major league manager Jerry Manuel as a mentor and he credits him for where he is today as a player.
“That’s the guy who has given me an opportunity to get drafted,” Davis said of Manuel. “I’m a talented individual but I can’t do everything by myself. He’s like a second dad to me. He’s always been there for me and wants the best for me. He knows how to make someone great. Anytime I need something, he’s someone I can go to. I have so much respect for him and his family.” Manuel stated, “Chase is a game-changer and he could be the face of an organization that a team can build around.”
Strengths
Chase Davis has the strongest non-pitching arm in this draft. From the outfield, he has been clocked at 99 MPH. Because of his strong arm, he projects as a corner outfielder specifically in right field. Davis stands at 6’1″ and weighs 210 pounds. The left-handed-hitting Davis is 18 years old and he could still add more muscle to his frame. He is known as a gym rat so bulking up should not be a problem.
Davis has good athleticism and his bat speed is described as explosive. His offensive stats were down as a junior due to his opponents pitching around him. He batted .284 with 26 walks in 28 games. But when facing the top high school players later that Summer, Davis played very well. Perfect Game describes Davis as having big potential with serious thunder in his bat.
Davis ranks on the 20-80 scouting grades report as having a 70 arm with a 55 for power and running. He has very quick hands and bat speed and his stock increased during last Summer’s games vs top competition.
Weaknesses
While Davis will be defined by what he does with his bat his defensive game will need to be refined. He sometimes takes suspect routes when chasing down balls in the outfield. Scouts believe this is something that can be fixed and it is not a lack of effort on Davis’s part. His glovework is described as nothing to write home about.
Davis at the plate can lack consistency at times and get out of sync. He again lacked power this past Spring and will need to show that he can consistently hit for power.
Scout Ryan Ozella who founded Ozella Baseball Consulting told The Athletic about the downside of Chase Davis.
“He’s a kid whose tools are super, super high. The problem for me is that the floor is super low. He’s the type of kid who has been in high-quality events. He’ll look good and then won’t look good. If he can shorten that gap a little bit, he can have a way higher upside. I could see someone buying the upside.”
MLB Comparision
Chase Davis’ favorite player is Carlos Gonzalez. So naturally, he modeled his swing after Cargo even though that was not his intention. But scouts do compare his game to Gonzalez. Both have a similar body type and Davis will eventually play the same position as Gonzalez. When asked about Gonzalez, Davis had this response.
“Carlos Gonzalez is my favorite player. I really didn’t model my swing after him, people say my swing does look like his. I would just look at the highlights and I looked at him and I was like ‘Whoa, his swing is really like mine’ and I understand why people say my swing looks like his.”
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