Pirates call up 2021 No. 1 pick Davis

A big piece of the Pittsburgh Pirates' future is on his way to PNC Park.

The Pirates announced they called up catching prospect Henry Davis, the first overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft.

Davis, ranked by MLB.com as the Pirates' No. 3 prospect and No. 44 in all of baseball, will make his MLB debut Monday when the Pirates host the Chicago Cubs.

Pittsburgh cleared a roster spot for Davis by optioning infielder Mark Mathias to Triple-A and designating right-hander Elijah Villalobos for assignment.

After going undrafted out of high school, Davis boosted his stock with a remarkable NCAA career at Louisville. The 23-year-old has rocketed through the Pirates' system since being drafted, jumping three levels this season alone. His call to the majors comes just 13 days after he was promoted to Triple-A Indianapolis, where he put up a .946 OPS in only 10 games.

He's hitting .284/.433/.541 with 11 homers, 30 RBIs, and nine stolen bases across 51 total games between Indianapolis and Double-A Altoona this year. While primarily a catcher, Davis has also played 13 games in right field this season.

When he makes his debut, Davis will become the third first-round selection in the 2021 draft to reach the major leagues, following the Los Angeles Angels' Sam Bachman and the Cincinnati Reds' Matt McLain.

Austin Hedges and Jason Delay have split time as the Pirates' primary catchers this season. Both will stay on the active roster once Davis arrives, manager Derek Shelton told Dejan Kovacevic of DK Pittsburgh Sports, meaning the team will run with three catchers on the roster for the foreseeable future.

"We'll use Henry in different ways," Shelton said.

The Pirates were one of the biggest early surprises of the 2023 season but have stumbled of late, losing their sixth straight game on Sunday. Still, Pittsburgh sits just 2.5 games out of first place in the NL Central.