Upside Comparisons: Jonathan Davis

Jonathan Davis — age 28 — is a career Blue Jay, being drafted by the team in the 15th round of the 2013 MLB draft, and debuting with the team in 2018. The outfielder has mostly been found in AAA Buffalo, but has made multiple major league stints since his debut. Headed into the 2020 season (starting on Friday), Davis remains an option for the team in a bench outfield position, and will likely start the year on the 30 man roster.

Over his minor league time, Davis has become well known for his glove, being a defensive first player. Fans frequently see highlight after highlight of Davis in a Bisons uniform, and despite his limited major league time, he has managed to find himself in a couple Jays highlight reels as well. Although he doesn’t have the strongest arm, his defense reminds many of Kevin Pillar, as his speed and fielding ability is fantastic. Offensively he isn’t much of a threat, but has a contact first playstyle, which is a fantastic fit considering his speed and baserunning as a big part of his game.

Davis isn’t one of the Jays that is going to be the core of the future team, but he does have the potential to be a solid contributor for the team going forward, potentially even in an everyday role. Considering this potential, as well as his playstyle, and future team opportunities, his upside comparison is Travis Jankowski, a 29 year old outfield for the Cincinnati Reds. J

ankowski made his debut with the San Diego Padres, who he would spend five years with in a platoon role before being let go and signed by the Reds in the 2019-2020 offseason. Like Davis, Jankowski is known as a contact bat with great speed, and an even better glove. Their offensive and defensive profiles are very similar, which make the two a great comparison.

In his five year career, Jankowski totaled 869 at bats over 334 games. During this time, he compiled a career .241 batting average with 8 home runs, and most importantly, 62 stolen bases. Although 2018 was arguably his best year, his career high 30 stolen bases in 2016 was, and still is his greatest major league achievement. He was a big time base runner for the Padres, which is a role that Davis could find himself in going forward for the team.

In the field Jankowski found himself playing all three positions, while spending a vast majority of his time in centre. Over his career he has 16 defensive runs saved alongside a .992 fielding percentage as a result of only four errors as a major leaguer. His best fielding percentage of .997 comes in center field, where he only made a single error over 1134.0 innings. Although Davis’ numbers might not reach those of Jankowski, he has flashed the leather all season long. In AAA Davis also found himself spending most of his time in centre, where he would finish with a .982 fielding percentage. Like Jankowski, stats prove that Davis’ best position is centre field, and with the Jays still looking for a future centre fielder, Davis might finally get his break in 2020.

Despite not getting much major league time in the past, the 60 man player pool, as well as the expanded rosters to start the season might just give Davis the chance he needs. If he manages to turn out like Jankowski, he could become a big piece of the team's future, as the current outfield really struggles defensively, and could use a defensive anchor up the middle.