2021 Angels Minor Leaguer Of The Year Brendon Davis Waived
May 20, 2022, 1:51 PM | Updated: May 22, 2022, 2:21 pm
Salt Lake Bee Brendon Davis heads to first base after getting a hit.
SALT LAKE CITY – Brendon Davis, the Los Angeles Angels 2021 Minor League Player of the Year, has been claimed by the Detroit Tigers after being placed on waivers by the Angels.
The Angels announced on Friday morning that the Detroit Tigers had claimed Davis. The Angels had hoped to pass Davis through waivers and keep him with the franchise while not on the 40-man roster.
INF/OF Brendon Davis has been claimed off waivers by the Detroit Tigers
— Angels PR (@LAAngelsPR) May 20, 2022
The 2015 Los Angeles Dodger fifth round pick, Davis struggled in the Texas Rangers system after being dealt in the Yu Darvish trade in 2017. After failing to progress in the Rangers system, Davis was claimed by the Angels in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft prior to the 2021 season.
The versatile infielder/outfielder cruised through three levels of the Angels minor league system. Hitting for a .290 batting average with 30 home runs and 29 doubles. He added 83 runs batted in while scoring 91 runs and stealing 16 bases. Davis showed enough potential for the Angels to commit a 40-man roster spot to his development but a roster crunch at the big league level led to Davis being exposed to waivers.
Brendon Davis has been claimed off waivers by the Detroit Tigers. We'll miss him here in Salt Lake and wish him the best of luck with the Tigers! pic.twitter.com/HBm1isgA9E
— Salt Lake Bees (@SaltLakeBees) May 20, 2022
In 159 plate appearances with the Salt Lake Bees in 2022, Davis has been inconsistent with the bat. His .243 batting average falls well short of the .290 he posted in 2021. His strikeout to walk ratio just north of 5:3 wasn’t bad but no longer justified a spot on the Angels 40-man roster.
Showcasing his versatility, Davis has spent time at every position besides catcher and pitcher. Davis committed 10 errors this season with five coming at shortstop and four happening at the hot corner.
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Detroit has optioned Davis to their Triple-A affiliate Toledo Mud Hens. The Tiger’s offensive struggles could create an opening for Davis’ bat sooner rather than later. The Tigers are last in Major League Baseball with just 20 home runs and 105 runs scored. Pittsburgh is the next lowest scoring team with 122 runs scored.
