Jonathan Gregory "J.D." Davis (born April 27, 1993) is an American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the Baseball scorekeep ...

who is a free agent. He has previously played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

, and

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...

. Davis played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

California State University, Fullerton California State University, Fullerton (CSUF or Cal State Fullerton) is a public research university in Fullerton, California, United States. With a total enrollment of more than 41,000, it has the largest student body of the California State ...

, and was drafted by the Astros in the third round of the

2014 MLB draft The 2014 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 5 through June 7, 2014, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first two rounds were conducted on June 5, followed by rounds three through ten on June 6, and the last 30 round ...

. He made his MLB debut in 2017 with the Astros.

Amateur career

Davis attended Elk Grove High School in

Elk Grove, California Elk Grove is a city in Sacramento County, California, United States. Located just south of the state capital of Sacramento, it is part of the Sacramento metropolitan area. As of the 2020 Census, the population of the city was 176,124. A 2021 C ...

. He played

first base A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

third base A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...

, and pitched, and batted .444, .337, .486, and .505 from 2008 to 2011. As a

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

, in 165 career

innings pitched In baseball, the statistic innings pitched (IP) is the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of Batter (baseball), batters and baserunners that have been put out while the pitcher is on the Baseball field#Pitcher's mou ...

, he

struck out In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safel ...

219 batters and never had an

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

(ERA) above 2.60. He was a four-time All-Delta Valley Conference, three-time All-Metro, and two-time high school

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

and

Northern California Northern California (commonly shortened to NorCal) is a geocultural region that comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California, spanning the northernmost 48 of the state's List of counties in California, 58 counties. Northern Ca ...

Player of the Year. He also played football as a

quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...

and

placekicker In gridiron football, the placekicker (PK), or simply kicker (K), is the player responsible for attempts at scoring Field goal (football), field goals and extra points. In most cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist ...

while a sophomore in 2008, and was all-league; the following year he broke his leg in a pre-season scrimmage. The

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...

selected Davis in the fifth round of the

2011 Major League Baseball draft The 2011 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2011, from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Gerrit Cole out of the University of California, Los Angeles, with the firs ...

. Davis did not sign and attended

, where he played

for the

Cal State Fullerton Titans The Cal State Fullerton Titans (also known as CSUF or Fullerton Titans) are the sport, athletic teams that represent California State University, Fullerton. The Titans are a member of the NCAA Division I level. The Titans compete within the Big W ...

from 2012 to 2014. Davis played

right field A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In t ...

and first base and was also a pitcher, as a

closer Closer or Closers may refer to: Film and television * ''Closer'' (2000 film), a documentary by Tina Gharavi * ''Closer'' (2004 film), a 2004 adaptation of Patrick Marber's play (see below), directed by Mike Nichols * ''The Closer'', a 1990 mo ...

. In 2012, he played

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...

for the Wisconsin Woodchucks of the

Northwest League The Northwest League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Northwestern United States and Western Canada. A Class A Short Season league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseba ...

, batted .344 and was 4–0 with a 2.10 ERA, was named a summer All-American as

utility player In sports, a utility player is one who can play several positions competently. Sports in which the term is often used include association football, basketball, American football, baseball, rugby union, rugby league, softball, ice hockey, and water ...

by Perfect Game, and had his season end early when he suffered a broken clavicle in a head-on auto collision in Wisconsin on July 19. In 2013, he played summer baseball for the

Chatham Anglers The Chatham Anglers, more commonly referred to as the Chatham A's and formerly the Chatham Athletics, are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Chatham, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in ...

of the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over 1,000 forme ...

(CCBL), where he batted .311/.402/.447. Davis was named the East Division

most valuable player In team sports, a most valuable player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particular competition, or ...

of the league's all-star game and was named to the 2013 Cape Cod All-League Team. In 2013, as a sophomore, Davis was third in the

Big West Conference The Big West Conference (BWC) is an American collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's NCAA Division I, Division I. The conference was origina ...

with 50

runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...

(RBIs) and fourth with 41 walks, and was named to the Fullerton All-Regional Team and Big West Conference First Team. In 2014, as a junior, he was second in the conference with a .523

slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at-bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at-bats for a given player, an ...

, third with 16 doubles and five triples, fourth with 32 walks, eighth with 43 RBIs, and ninth with a .419

on-base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batting (baseball), batter reaches base (baseball), base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA ...

. In his three years with the Titans, he hit .307/.394/.461 with 14

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...

s and 113 RBIs in 156 games. As a pitcher he had a 5–5

win–loss record Win–loss may refer to: * Win–loss analytics, analysis of the reasons why a visitor to a website was or wasn't persuaded to engage in a desired action * Win–loss record, also winning percentage * Win–loss record (pitching), the number of ...

with a 2.94 ERA and 11 saves in 36 games (8 starts).

Professional career

Houston Astros

After his junior season in college, Davis was drafted by the

in the third round of the

2014 Major League Baseball draft The 2014 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 5 through June 7, 2014, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first two rounds were conducted on June 5, followed by rounds three through ten on June 6, and the last 30 round ...

. He signed with the Astros for a

signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...

of $748,600 and made his professional debut with the

Tri-City ValleyCats The Tri-City ValleyCats are a professional baseball team based in Albany, New York. The ValleyCats compete in the Frontier League (FL) as a member of the North Division in the Atlantic Conference. The team was established in 2002, along with the ...

. After hitting .293/.371/.508 with a .878

on-base plus slugging On-base plus slugging (OPS) is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player both to get on base and to hit for power, two important offensive skills, are ...

(OPS) in 111

at bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens upon completion of his turn at bat, ...

s over 30 games, he was promoted to the

Quad Cities River Bandits The Quad Cities River Bandits are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. Their home games are played at Modern Woodmen Park (formerly John O'Donnell Stadium) in Davenport, Iowa, on ...

of the Single–A

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...

, where he finished the 2014 season, batting .303/.363/.516(9th in the Midwest League) with eight home runs and 32 RBIs in 155 at bats. He was named an MiLB Organization All Star. In 2015, he played for the

Lancaster JetHawks The Lancaster JetHawks were a baseball team located in Lancaster, California. They were named for the city's association with the aerospace industry and played their home games at The Hangar. From 1996 to 2020, they were members of Minor League B ...

of the High–A

California League The California League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in California. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following Major Leagu ...

. There Davis slashed .289/.370/.520 with 93 runs (3rd in the league), 26 home runs (6th), 101 RBIs (2nd in the league, behind

Cody Bellinger Cody James Bellinger (born July 13, 1995) is an American professional baseball outfielder and first baseman for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs. H ...

, and 6th among all minor league batters), 54 walks (3rd), 157 strikeouts (3rd), 12 grounded into

double play In baseball and softball, a double play (denoted as DP in baseball statistics) is the act of making two outs during the same continuous play. Double plays can occur any time there is at least one baserunner and fewer than two outs. In Major Le ...

s (4th), and 10

hit by pitch In baseball, hit by pitch (HBP) is an event in which a batter or his clothing or equipment (other than his bat) is struck directly by a pitch from the pitcher; the batter is called a hit batsman (HB). A hit batsman is awarded first base, provide ...

(2nd). He then played for the

Glendale Desert Dogs The Glendale Desert Dogs are a baseball team that plays in the West Division of the Arizona Fall League. They play their home games at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona. The ballpark is also the spring training facility of the Chicago White S ...

in the Arizona Fall league, batting .279/.329/.456 with 6 doubles (6th in the AFL) in 68 at bats, and was named an AFL Rising Star. In 2016, Davis played for the

Corpus Christi Hooks The Corpus Christi Hooks are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in Corpus Christi, Texas, and are named for the city's association with fishing. The team is owned b ...

of the Double–A

Texas League The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...

. There, he led the league with 34 doubles and batted .268/.334/.485(10th in the Texas League) with 61 runs (8th), 23 home runs (3rd), 81 RBIs (3rd), and 45 walks (8th), and 143 strikeouts (3rd). He was named a mid-season All Star and an MiLB Organization All Star. Davis began 2017 back with Corpus Christi, batting .279/.340/.510(leading the Texas League) with 21 home runs (2nd), and 60 RBIs. He was promoted to the

Fresno Grizzlies The Fresno Grizzlies are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They are located in Fresno, California, and play their home games at Chukchansi Park, which was opened in 2002 in ...

of the Triple–A

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

in July where he batted .295/.370/.623 with five home runs, 18 RBIs, and a .993 OPS in 16 games. He was named a Texas League mid-season and post-season All Star, and an MiLB Organization All Star. The Astros promoted Davis to the major leagues on August 5, 2017. He played 25 games with the Astros with 62 at bats, batting .226/.279/.484 with four home runs, and seven RBIs. The Astros finished the year with a 101–61 record, and eventually won the

2017 World Series The 2017 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2017 season. The 113th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the National League (NL) champion Los Angeles Dodgers and th ...

. Davis did not play in the playoffs, but was still on the Astros' 40-man roster, giving him a chance to win his first career championship. On March 24, 2018, the Astros announced that Davis had made the Opening Day roster. He batted .175/.248/.223 with one home run in 103 at bats for the Astros. He batted .342(winning the

batting title)/.406/.583(6th) with 17 home runs with 81 RBIs (6th) for Fresno in 333 at bats. He was named to the mid-season Pacific Coast League All Star team, and was named an MiLB Organization All Star for the fourth time.

New York Mets

On January 6, 2019, the Astros traded Davis and Cody Bohanek to the

for Ross Adolph, Luis Santana, and Scott Manea. On August 26, Davis was awarded with the MLB Play of the Week with an over-the-shoulder basket catch by MLB.com. He finished the 2019 season batting .307/.369/.527 with career-highs in home runs (22) and RBI (57) in 140 games. He was in the top 5% in MLB in average exit velocity, at 91.5 mph, and maximum exit velocity, at 114.7 mph. His four assists were the 5th-most for an NL left fielder. In the field, he played 79 games in

left field In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering syst ...

, and 31 games at third base. Davis played in 56 games for the Mets in 2020, slashing .247/.371/.389 with six home runs and 19 RBI. The eight double plays he grounded into were 5th-most in the National League, and his seven

were 6th-most in the league. In the field, he played 34 games at third base, and 11 in left field. On June 25, 2021, Davis was placed on the 60-day

injured list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL). General guidelines ...

with a left hand sprain; ultimately, in October he had surgery to repair a left hand ligament. On July 16, Davis was activated off of the injured list. In 38 at bats with the Triple–A

Syracuse Mets The Syracuse Mets are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets. They are located in Syracuse, New York, and play their home games at NBT Bank Stadium, which ope ...

, he batted .316/.469/.737. In 2021 with the Mets he batted .285/.384/.436. He batted .429 as a

pinch hitter In baseball, a pinch hitter (PH) is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead (not in active play); the manager may use any player who has not yet entered the game as a substitute. Unlike basketball, A ...

, the second-best batting average in the majors of those with 20 or more

plate appearance In baseball, a player is credited with a plate appearance (denoted by PA) each time he completes a turn batting. Under Rule 5.04(c) of the Official Baseball Rules, a player completes a turn batting when he is put out or becomes a runner. This ha ...

s. In the field, he played all his games at third base. On March 22, 2022, Davis signed a $2.76 million contract with the Mets, avoiding salary arbitration. In 2022 with the Mets, before he was traded, he batted .238/.324/.359 with four home runs and 21 RBI, in 181 at bats. He played 43 games at DH, 12 at third base, and four at first base.

San Francisco Giants

On August 2, 2022, Davis and pitchers

Carson Seymour Carson James Seymour (born December 16, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). Career Amateur Seymour attended Great Oak High School in Temecula, California and played coll ...

, Nick Zwack, and

Thomas Szapucki Thomas Mathew Szapucki (born June 12, 1996) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Detroit Tigers organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants. He was selected ...

were traded to the

for first baseman/outfielder

Darin Ruf Darin Cortland Ruf (born July 28, 1986) is an American former professional baseball first baseman, left fielder, and designated hitter. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets a ...

. With the Giants after the trade, he batted .263/.361/.496 in 137 at bats, with 20 runs, 8 home runs, and 14 RBIs. He played 18 games at third base, 14 each at first base and DH, and 2 in left field. In 2022 he was third-best in the major leagues in hard-hit percentage (56.1%, behind Aaron Judge and Yordan Alvarez), and in the top 5% in MLB in barrel percentage, and average exit velocity on balls hit (92.4 mph). On January 13, 2023, Davis agreed to a one-year, $4.21 million contract with the Giants, avoiding salary arbitration. He played in 144 games for the Giants, batting .248/.325/.413 with 18 home runs and a career–high 69 RBIs. On February 8, 2024, Davis won his arbitration hearing and his contract was increased to $6.9 million for the year. On March 11, Davis was released by the Giants and became a free agent. Because his contract was imposed by an arbitrator and not agreed to by the club, by releasing him the Giants owed Davis just $1.1 million of his contract.

Oakland Athletics

On March 16, 2024, Davis signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the

. In 39 games for Oakland, he batted .236/.304/.366 with four home runs and five RBIs. On June 18, Davis was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...

by the Athletics.

New York Yankees

On June 23, 2024, the Athletics traded Davis and cash considerations to the

in exchange for

Jordan Groshans Jordan Groshans (born November 10, 1999) is an American professional baseball infielder in the Kansas City Royals organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Miami Marlins. The Toronto Blue Jays selected Groshans ...

. In seven games for New York, he went 2–for–19 (.105) with one RBI and three walks. On July 28, Davis was designated for assignment by the Yankees. He was released by the organization on August 2.

Baltimore Orioles

On August 7, 2024, Davis signed a minor league contract with the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...

. In 31 games for the Triple-A

Norfolk Tides The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's loc ...

, he batted .147/.219/.248 with three home runs and nine RBI. Davis elected free agency following the season on November 4.

Los Angeles Angels

On January 24, 2025, Davis signed a minor league contract with the

. In 10 games for the Triple-A

Salt Lake Bees The Salt Lake Bees are a Minor League Baseball (MiLB) team that plays in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. Based in South Jordan, Utah, the team plays its home games at The Ballpark at Am ...

, he batted .297/.357/.487 with two home runs and 11 RBI. On April 10, the Angels selected Davis' contract, adding him to their active roster. In five games for the Angels, he went 1-for-9 (.111). Davis was designated for assignment by Los Angeles on April 29. He cleared waivers and elected free agency on May 1, but re-signed with the Angels on a minor league contract the following day. Davis was released by the Angels organization on June 30.https://www.milb.com/transactions/2025-06-30

References

External links

*
Cal State Fullerton Titans
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, J. D. 1993 births Living people Baseball players from Sacramento County, California Cal State Fullerton Titans baseball players Chatham Anglers players Corpus Christi Hooks players Fresno Grizzlies players Glendale Desert Dogs players Houston Astros players Lancaster JetHawks players Las Vegas Aviators players Los Angeles Angels players Major League Baseball third basemen New York Mets players New York Yankees players Norfolk Tides players Oakland Athletics players Quad Cities River Bandits players Salt Lake Bees players San Francisco Giants players Sportspeople from Elk Grove, California Syracuse Mets players Tri-City ValleyCats players Wisconsin Woodchucks players