Former top Cubs prospect finally living up to billing with new team

I probably don't need to tell any of you about the legend of Brennen Davis.

The outfielder, a second-round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, exploded onto the scene in 2019, posting a .906 OPS in 50 games. When he hit 19 homes runs and recorded a .494 slugging percentage as a 21-year-old who reached Triple-A by season's end in 2021, his prospect stock skyrocketed.

Unfortunately, the lost 2020 season that featured no minor league games stunted may have stunted his development, and then, the injuries started piling up.

A lot of them could be classified as freak injuries too, starting with his first back surgery in June 2022, followed by core surgery and, then, in 2024, back and ankle fractures, among other things.

After years of waiting for his body to cooperate with his talent, the Cubs finally cut bait at the start of this past offseason, opening up a 40-man roster spot in the process. Davis went on to sign with the New York Yankees.... where he's absolutely dominating.

Brennen Davis is playing well and staying healthy with Yankees

Davis got off to a delayed start this season in the Florida Complex League, though once he got going, he crushed the rookie-level competition, accruing a 1.576 OPS in 21 plate appearances.

That earned him a quick promotion to Double-A Somerset, where he had an .891 OPS in just eight games. The Yankees, eager to challenge the 25-year-old, promoted him again to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and he's picked up right where he left off.

On a human level, it's awesome to see Davis thriving in baseball, even if it's with another organization. [As an aside, the Yankees really love to seem scooping up former Cubs via trade and free agency, don't they?]

His talent was never in question, though his health was never not in question. He's only played 15 games in the Yankees' farm system this year, and he surely has more to prove before he can work his way onto their 40-man roster.

Should he stay healthy, I'd expect the Yankees to give him a crack at the big league level, particularly if they want a platoon option for (former Cub) Cody Bellinger in right field.

As a Cubs fan, it's hard not to admit that seeing Davis hit tanks for another team is bittersweet. He was the guy everyone looked to at the start of the Jed Hoyer era rebuild as a building block for the next great Cubs team. Much like Brailyn Márquez, another stud Cubs prospect who just couldn't stay healthy, Davis didn't pan out in the way so many of us were hoping he would.

Nevertheless, the Cubs appear to have escaped the doldrums of that rebuild in good shape. They sit atop the National League with a 38-22 record, led by their outfield tandem of Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker.

Even if he can't be a part of what the 2025 Cubs are accomplishing, it's hard not to root for Brennen Davis to succeed.