When will Cubs prospect Brennen Davis make his MLB debut?

Heading into the 2022 season heralded as a top 20 prospect in the game, the Cubs’ hoped Brennen Davis would put the finishing touches on his development and start to impact the big league roster. Davis rocketed up the ladder from High-A, to Double-A Tennessee and thenTriple-A Iowa over the course of the 2021 season. He gained national attention during All-Star Weekend in Colorado, when he hammered two home runs at Coors Field and was named Futures Game MVP.

He achieved top prospect billing in the organization by slashing a combined .260/.375/.494 with 19 home runs and 53 RBI. Complete with plus defense in the outfield, Davis has the makings of a true five-tool player. He peaked as high as number 14 on MLB's Top 100 Prospects list in 2021, and still rates out with a future value of 55 (out of 60) according to Fangraphs. Since then, however, things have gone very differently for Davis - but not due to a lack of talent.

Cubs need Brennen Davis to stay healthy, on the field in 2023

In 2022, Davis was plagued by injuries that stopped him in his tracks. Never able to get into a rhythm due to lingering back issues, the young outfielder slashed just .180/.299/.298 at the plate. Since then, he has had back surgery to repair the nagging issue and has made it thus far through spring training unscathed. He had a couple hard hit balls that fell into the “unlucky” category, thanks to plays that were made by opposing defenses that could have just as easily been hits. In total, he batted .231 in Cactus League action before being reassigned to minor league camp. 

With Seiya Suzuki suffering an oblique injury early on in camp, the immediate question was if there would be an opening for Davis, if he performed well enough in camp, to make the Opening Day roster. Of course, that idea came and went rather quickly and the club will give him more time to find his groove again at Triple-A Iowa. Luckily, the Cubs can utilize Trey Mancini in right field in the meantime, and Davis doesn’t have to feel pressured to contribute right away. 

Davis’ production in 2022 is not a reflection of what he can bring to the table in the slightest. After undergoing surgery, the hope is that he can put these issues behind him now and get back to being a key face of the Cubs farm system, along with fellow outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Once Davis finds his rhythm, it won’t be long before he gets called up. Assuming all goes well and he's back to his old ways, you can expect to see Davis in Cubbie blue by mid-to-late July. There's still reason to believe he can be a part of the next great Cubs team.