The Pittsburgh Pirates have chosen the player they hope will be a cornerstone of their rebuilding efforts, selecting catcher Henry Davis of Louisville with the first overall pick in the 2021 MLB draft.
In passing over Vanderbilt pitcher Jack Leiter and high school shortstop Marcelo Mayer, the Pirates opted for perhaps the best college bat in the country in Davis, a sophomore who hit .370/.482/.663 with 15 home runs and 10 stolen bases in leading the Cardinals to a berth in the College World Series.
He is the first No. 1 overall pick in Louisville baseball history. The highest a Cardinals player had been drafted was in 2017, when Brendan McKay was selected fourth overall. With Davis’ selection, Louisville became the first program to have players selected as the first overall pick in the MLB, NBA, WNBA, and MLS drafts.
A native of Bedford, New York, Davis was a semifinalist for the 2021 Golden Spikes award, which goes to the top amateur player in the country.
Davis, 21, is the second catcher to be taken first overall in the past three drafts, joining Adley Rutschman, whom the Baltimore Orioles selected with the No. 1 pick in 2019.
The Pirates had the first overall pick after finishing with baseball’s worst record in 2020. The last time the Pirates had the No. 1 overall pick was in 2011, when they took UCLA pitcher and future ace Gerrit Cole.
2021 MLB draft, first round
1. Pittsburgh Pirates: C Henry Davis, Louisville
2. Texas Rangers: RHP Jack Leiter, Vanderbilt
3. Detroit Tigers: RHP Jackson Jobe, Heritage Hall (Oklahoma City) H.S.
4. Boston Red Sox: SS Marcelo Mayer, Eastlake (California) H.S.
5. Baltimore Orioles: OF Colton Cowser, Sam Houston
6. Arizona Diamondbacks: SS Jordan Lawlar, Jesuit Prep (Dallas, Texas)
7. Kansas City Royals: LHP Frank Mozzicato, East Catholic (Manchester, Conn.) H.S.
8. Colorado Rockies: OF Benny Montgomery, Red Land (Pa.) H.S.
9. Los Angeles Angels: RHP Sam Bachman, Miami (Ohio)
10. New York Mets: RHP Kumar Rocker, Vanderbilt
11. Washington Nationals: SS Brady House, Winder-Barrow (Winder, Ga.) H.S.
12. Seattle Mariners: C Harry Ford, North Cobb (Kennesaw, Ga.) H.S.
13. Philadelphia Phillies: RHP Andrew Painter, Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
14. San Francisco Giants: RHP Will Bednar, Mississippi State
15. Milwaukee Brewers: OF Sal Frelick, Boston College
16. Miami Marlins: SS Kahlil Watson, Wake Forest
17. Cincinnati Reds: Matt McLain, UCLA
18. St. Louis Cardinals: RHP Michael McGreevy, UC Santa Barbara
19. Toronto Blue Jays: RHP Gunnar Hoglund, Mississippi
20. New York Yankees: SS Trey Sweeney, Eastern Illinois
21. Chicago Cubs: LHP Jordan Wicks, Kansas State
22. Chicago White Sox: SS Colson Montgomery, Southridge (Huntingburg, Ind.) H.S.
23. Cleveland: RHP Gavin Williams, East Carolina
24. Atlanta Braves: RHP Ryan Cusick, Wake Forest
25. Oakland Athletics: SS Max Muncy, Thousand Oaks (Calif.) H.S.
26. Minnesota Twins: RHP Chase Petty, Mainland Regional (N.J.) H.S.
27. San Diego Padres: SS Jackson Merrill, Severna Park (Md.) H.S.
28. Tampa Bay Rays: SS Carson Williams, Torrey Pines (San Diego, Calif.) H.S.
29. Los Angeles Dodgers: LHP Maddux Bruns, UMS Wright Prep School (Mobile, Ala.)
Compensation picks
30. Cincinnati Reds (for Trevor Bauer): OF Jay Allen, John Carroll Catholic (Fort Pierce, Fla.) H.S.
Competitive Balance Round A
31. Miami Marlins: C Joe Mack, Williamsville East (East Amherst, N.Y.) H.S.
32. Detroit Tigers: RHP Ty Madden, Texas
33. Milwaukee Brewers: 2B Tyler Black, Wright State
34. Tampa Bay Rays: SS Cooper Kinney, Baylor School (Chattanooga, Tenn.)
35. Cincinnati Reds: C Matheu Nelson, Florida State
36. Minnesota Twins: SS Noah Miller, Ozaukee (Fredonia, Wis.) H.S.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB draft: Pittsburgh Pirates take catcher Henry Davis No. 1 overall