SF Giants: Six prospects who could make an impact this season

6 SF Giants prospects who could make an impact this season: 3. Jaylin Davis

If Bart has moved slightly off the radar of most fans, Jaylin Davis is probably on a different plane of existence. While LaMonte Wade Jr. has emerged as the latest outfield find by Farhan Zaidi, it was Davis who was once expected to emerge as the impact player Wade has become. Acquired in a trade with the Minnesota Twins at the 2019 deadline, a combination of injuries and the Giants incredible outfield depth have buried Davis to a certain degree. Still, he remained the 23rd-best prospect in the farm system heading into the year.

Over 126 games in the minors in 2019, Davis slugged 36 home runs and posted a .306/.397/.590 line. He hammered 10 home runs in 27 games following the trade before he was finally promoted to the big-league roster. However, his season was almost immediately ended when he was hit on the hand in just his 17th game. Ever since, a combination of knee injuries and inconsistent contact abilities have prevented him from another extended look.

Davis is an above-average defender at all three outfield spots and has posted elite sprint speeds during his brief MLB stints in each of the last three seasons. With the Sacramento River Cats at Triple-A again this year, he’s continued to mash against opposing pitching. In just 30 games, Davis already had 11 home runs and an incredible .632 slugging percentage. Unfortunately, he also has a concerning 31.% strikeout rate.

Davis still has tremendous upside for a player entering his late twenties without a track record of production against MLB pitching. His defensive versatility and speed should enable him to contribute at least marginally if called upon this season, but if his Triple-A production translates to the next level, the Giants could truly unearth another impact bat just in time for the postseason. Maybe Jaylin Davis is the next outfielder to emerge as a star in San Francisco.