St. Louis Cardinals Select Chase Davis as No. 21 Pick in 2023 MLB Draft
ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Cardinals have once again turned to the high school ranks for their first-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. With the No. 21 overall selection, the Cardinals chose Chase Davis, a standout outfielder from the University of Arizona.
Davis, who was one of the top high school players in 2020, went undrafted in the pandemic-affected draft that was shortened to five rounds. However, he continued to excel in college, solidifying his status as one of baseball’s top prospects. In his junior season, Davis hit an impressive .362 with 21 home runs and 74 RBIs. Notably, he also reduced his strikeout rate from 22.8 percent as a sophomore to 14.4 percent as a junior.
The Cardinals have been closely following Davis’s progress since his high school days, impressed with his development and improvement. Assistant GM and director of scouting Randy Flores stated, “The summer before [the 2020 high school season], he had a tremendous showcase circuit and was someone we liked. That being said, you can’t draft all of them, and we were excited to see his progression at the University of Arizona.”
Joining the Cardinals reunites Davis with his former teammates and fellow high school standouts Jordan Walker and Masyn Winn, who were also drafted by the Cardinals in 2020. Walker, who recently graduated, was MLB Pipeline’s top prospect heading into this season, while Winn is currently ranked as the Cardinals’ top prospect.
Davis expressed his excitement about reuniting with Walker, saying, “Jordan and I played in the Breakthrough Series together, so I’m super excited to see Jordan again. It’s super exciting and a blessing heading to the Cardinals.”
The Cardinals believe they have found a steal in Davis, who possesses a strong throwing arm and the versatility to play in any of the three outfield positions. Due to the team’s lack of top draft picks in recent years, the Cardinals have had to uncover under-the-radar talents. However, they believe Davis has the potential to be a game-changer.
Flores praised Davis’s character and work ethic, stating, “People almost unanimously rave about Chase Davis as a person. They remark on his growth, maturity, love of the game, and his tremendous work ethic. I’m so confident he’ll do everything in his power to be the best player possible.”
With just one first-day pick in this year’s draft, the Cardinals forfeited their second-round pick after signing free-agent catcher Willson Contreras. As a result, the Cardinals picked at No. 21 on the first day, and their next pick will be the 90th overall selection on the second day.
The No. 21 pick carries a slot value of $3.6 million, slightly higher than the $3.1 million carried by last year’s No. 22 overall pick, Cooper Hjerpe. The Cardinals have a bonus pool of $6,375,100 for this year’s draft.
As the 20-round MLB Draft continues, the Cardinals will be looking to add more talent to their organization. Monday’s session will include Rounds 3-10, while Tuesday will feature Rounds 11-20. The Cardinals are set to make their next pick at No. 90 overall on Monday.
Comparing Davis to former Rockies All-Star outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, Flores highlighted his high baseball IQ and his dedication to making improvements. Davis himself acknowledged his growth and maturity throughout his college career, noting the changes he made to his swing to reduce strikeouts.
“As I got older and more mature, I got more disciplined in the zone. Freshman and sophomore years were learning curves,” said Davis. “I knew my sophomore stats weren’t going to play at the next level with swing and miss. I asked myself, ‘What am I going to do to lessen it?’ I did some work in the offseason and took it out there this spring.”
The Cardinals have high hopes for Davis, and they believe his talent and determination will make him a valuable addition to their organization.