Leonard Davis

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Washington Nationals #16 prospect in 2009
  Davis's older brothers Marque and Rodney starred as football players for Fresno State, and Davis played one season as a safety at Fresno CC before switching to baseball. A strong, physical athlete, he began tapping into his natural ability in 2008, when he made huge strides refining his offensive approach and rocketed to Triple-A. Though he seemed worn down at the end of the summer, he bounced back in the Arizona Fall League, batting .325/.415/.600 with four homers in 80 at-bats. Davis tried too hard to pull everything when he was younger, but he did a good job utilizing his above-average power to the opposite field in 2008. An average runner with a fringe-average arm, Davis played right field in college and moved to third base in pro ball, and the Nationals have experimented with him at second base and back in the outfield corners in the last two years. He's most comfortable in left but can hold his own at third base and fill in at second. Pitch selection was an issue for Davis in the past, and while he showed more patience in 2008, his 48-5 strikeout-walk ratio in Triple-A is jarring. If he doesn't hit enough for an everyday job in the big leagues, his defensive versatility and power bat still could make him a valuable reserve.
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  Ranked Washington Nationals #20 prospect in 2006
  Football is in Davis' blood. His older brothers Marque and Rodney starred at Fresno State, and Marque went to training camp with the NFL's Seattle Seahawks in 2005. Leonard played one season as a safety at Fresno City College before switching to baseball as a sophomore. A right fielder when the Expos drafted him in 2004, he moved to third base as a pro. A prototype long-term project, he developed more rapidly than expected last season, particularly on offense. Davis put too much pressure on himself early and got off to a 3-for-23 start at short-season Vermont before batting .318 the rest of the way. A stocky athlete built similarly to Charlie Hayes and Terry Pendleton, Davis stands out most with his huge raw power, especially to the opposite field. He can get into trouble when he tries to pull balls down the right-field line, but he has gotten better at handling inside pitches and has shortened his swing by six to 10 inches. He has a tendency to chase balls up out of the zone and needs to improve his pitch selection. Davis is an average runner with good range and agility at third base. His arm is strong but inaccurate, and his hands are too hard. He has plenty of natural talent but a long way to go. He'll begin 2006 in low Class A.