Kyle Davies Stats & Scouting Report

IP	770
ERA	5.575
WHIP	1.618
BB/9	4.29
SO/9	6.394

Full name Hiram Kyle Davies
Born 09/09/1983 in Decatur, GA
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Stockbridge
Debut 05/21/2005
Drafted in the 4th round (135th overall) by the Atlanta Braves in 2001.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Baseball America once rated Davies, a standout in the East Cobb program in suburban Atlanta, as the nation's top 14-year-old (1998) and 15-year-old (1999) player. After a breakthrough season in 2003 and reaching Triple-A in 2004, he's now the Braves' top pitching prospect following the trades of Jose Capellan and Dan Meyer. After revamping his mechanics in 2003, Davies showed consistency in 2004. His great command of his 89-93 mph fastball makes it a plus pitch. His changeup is the best in the system, and his curveball features nice bite. He also works both sides of the plate and alters the hitter's eye level. With his delivery ironed out, Davies simply needs to compete against experienced hitters and prove he can make the necessary adjustments. His curveball could use a little more consistency. Some Braves instructors say Davies could win a job with the major league club this spring. He's more likely to open the season in Triple-A, but he'll make his big league debut soon enough.
Davies was considered a disappointment prior to the 2003 season, so much in fact that the Braves feared he had peaked in his mid-teens. He dominated youth competition at ages 14 and 15, and was one of the greatest players to ever come from the famed East Cobb program in suburban Atlanta. Davies made a major change in his delivery at the end of 2002. After showing initial reluctance, Davies embraced the adjustments and progressed as much as any pitcher in the organization in 2003. His new delivery helped Davies go from throwing a flat 87-88 mph fastball to a 92-93 mph heater with plus movement that tops out at 95. His changeup is the best in the system, with excellent depth and fade. His command has improved and continues to get better. Davies always has displayed the intangibles necessary to succeed, particularly his intense competitiveness. He must avoid reverting to the tall-and-fall delivery that caused him to push his pitches to the plate. He also needs to improve his slider to give him a solid third pitch as a starter. Davies opened the Braves' eyes with his ability to put away hitters. He'll open 2004 in high Class A, and a jump to Double-A at midseason wouldn't be a surprise.
Davies may have been the Braves' seventh pick (fourth round) last June, yet he may have the highest ceiling of any player in the team's draft class. While he developed as an amateur, Baseball America rated him the best 14- and 15-year-old player in the nation, and he received honorable mention at ages 16 and 17. He showed exceptional poise in the Gulf Coast League to earn a late-season callup to Macon, where he allowed two hits with seven strikeouts in a six-inning start. Davies is an excellent all-around athlete who could have been a catching prospect had he concentrated on that position. He's extremely competitive, and the Braves love his makeup and presence on the mound. Davies has the ability to command three major league pitches. His fastball was in the 88-90 mph range in the GCL after sitting on 92-93 mph during the spring. Atlanta thinks he had a tired arm after pitching for nearly two straight years and believes he'll start to make tremendous progress once he combines some rest with professional instruction. He didn't turn 18 until after signing with the Braves, making him one of the youngest and most promising pitchers in the organization.

Minor League Top Prospects

Described by some scouts as a righthanded version of Duke, Davies has similar composure and stuff. He also made an immediate impact in the majors when filling in for the injured Mike Hampton. Davies complements an 89-93 mph fastball with a curveball and the best changeup in the Braves system. He has a mean streak in his ultra-competitive nature, and he goes right after hitters. After revamping his mechanics two years ago, he has a clean delivery and repeats it well. While he commands all his pitches, Davies struggled with control of his breaking ball at times. When his curve is on, he's able to get ahead of hitters and finish them off.
Another in the Braves' long line of pitching prospects, Davies built on a turnaround season in 2003 by jumping from high Class A at the end of June and making it all the way to Triple-A by the end of the season. Davies took off last year once he adjusted his delivery and improved his fastball significantly. He threw at 88-93 mph this year, and his command makes his fastball a plus pitch. He throws a 12-to-5 curveball with rotation and bite, and his changeup is solid average. Davies works to both sides of the plate and can get in on hitters' hands. Scouts now project him as a middle-of-the-rotation starter.
Davies progressed as much as any pitcher in the Braves system last season after he made adjustments to his delivery. His velocity spiked from 86-88 mph to 92-93, and his progression only continued this season. Davies was topping out at 95-96 with the Pelicans, and his changeup is still the best in the system, with excellent depth and fade. "He's got great stuff, is very athletic and fields his position well," Wilmington manager Billy Gardner Jr. said. "He's just another in a long line of good righthanded pitchers in that system. But the thing that sets him apart is that changeup."