4 emerging superstars the Cubs may have to be afraid of in the NL Central

Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates weren’t on the list of teams expected to improve by ten or more wins in the 2024 season despite finding themselves with just 76 wins last year and adding a pitcher with the number one overall pick who will likely make his Major League debut in 2024. 

That being said, another former number-one overall pick, Henry Davis, did find his name on Randhawa’s list of players who should see a good sophomore season after putting together a rookie year that left much to be desired.

In 2023 Davis was a -1.4 WAR player according to Baseball Reference and he hit just .213/.302/.351 with a 78 OPS+ (where 100 is league average). If Davis had played a majority of his 62 games at catcher his struggles would have been a little bit more reasonable, however he played 49 games in the outfield and 11 games at DH with just two starts coming behind the dish.

However, Randhawa believes in his ability to turn it around due to his offseason work and had this to say about Davis:

"This offseason, he’s been working with Driveline to enhance his performance at the plate, and as far as improving behind it, he’s been catching bullpens at the Pirates’ Spring Training complex in Bradenton, Fla."

Manny Randhawa, MLB.com