The Pittsburgh Pirates signed catcher Henry Davis, the No. 1 overall pick in last week’s 2021 Major League Baseball Draft.
The 21-year-old Davis, who played for the University of Louisville, received a $6.5 million signing bonus, according to MLB Network.
“As we started this searching process last summer, it was really important for us to find the best player,” Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said in a Sunday morning press conference. “We also wanted to find the right person to work together with, to help us building a winning team in Pittsburgh.”
“We feel very excited and honored and confident that we found that person in Henry Davis.”
Davis, who is 6-2, 210 pounds, hit .370 this season with 15 home runs and 48 RBIs in 49 games for Louisville. He was the No. 5 overall prospect, per MLB.com.
The $6.5 million signing bonus would be the lowest for a No. 1 pick since outfielder Mickey Moniak received $6.1 million from the Philadelphia Phillies in 2016.
It was the second time in the past three years a catcher has gone first overall. The Baltimore Orioles took Adley Rutschman in 2019.
–Field Level Media