Cubs fans may remember this top prospect - he’s still waiting for his chance

The Chicago Cubs have churned through a lot of top prospects over the last decade and change. From the days of Kris Bryant and Javier Baéz dominating every top prospect list to Owen Caissie fighting ruthlessly to get his shot in the big leagues, the North Siders have had their fair share of exctiing youngsters.

There was something special about Brennen Davis, though.

Before the 2022 season, Davis was a consensus top-30 prospect in baseball: Baseball America had him ranked 16th, MLB Pipeline placed him in 15th, and Baseball Prospectus put him all the way down at 27th. At the time, he was coming off a tremendous 2021 season in which he ascended three levels of minor-league ball, finishing with a 16-game cup of coffee at Triple-A Iowa, where he posted a .933 OPS.

Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there. Injuries sapped so much of his juice, and in 2022, the outfielder slashed a paltry .180/.299/.298 across 178 at-bats. The next season wasn't any better, as he put up a nearly identical .604 OPS in 293 plate appearances.

Ultimately, the Cubs designated Davis for assignment following the 2024 season, as years of health issues (especially with his back) had derailed his hype train.

He turned things around when healthy in 2025 in the New York Yankees' system, and now he's getting another shot to crack an MLB roster, signing a minor-league deal with the Seattle Mariners with an invite to spring training.

Former Cubs prospect Brennen Davis could finally break through

As with everything about Davis, the conversation must focus on his health. Though he raked in the Yankees' system last year (.271/.364/.612, 154 wRC+), he only played 50 games due to various injuries.

He's still got the tools that made him such an intriguing prospect, hitting 17 home runs in just 198 plate appearances. However, he played exclusively at designated hitter in Double-A and Triple-A, and his body can no longer handle the toll of center field. In a best-case scenario, he could pass as an average right fielder thanks to his strong arm.

Davis' strikeout issues have also continued to follow him, as he punched out at a 28.8 percent clip in 2025. As a right-handed hitting power bat, he could be a solid bench piece in Seattle, but it's hard to imagine him ever getting the kind of playing time his raw talent deserves.

Still, this is a positive development for a former Cub who just couldn't stay healthy enough to ply his trade in Chicago. The Mariners did just sign Rob Refsnyder to fill a similar role, but winning teams can never have enough depth.

Hopefully, Davis gets the chance to make his long-awaited (and very belated) MLB debut at some point in 2026.