Toronto Blue Jays 2020 Report Cards: Jonathan Davis

Jays Journal contributors will be authoring Toronto Blue Jays report cards based on how each player performed in 2020. In this edition, we take a look at Jonathan Davis

Jonathan Davis was never guaranteed a spot on the Toronto Blue Jays roster. When he was put on the field though, he made the most of the opportunity.

He only appeared in 13 games in the 2020 season authoring a .259/.364/.444 slash line in 27 at-bats tallying seven hits, six RBI, a home run and a stolen base.

He isn’t known for what he can do at the plate though. His calling comes in the field where he can provide solid defence. Playing in centre and right, he didn’t make a single error and made some spectacular plays in the field.

More from Jays Journal

• Matt Chapman has been exactly what the Blue Jays needed
• Blue Jays: The goalposts are moving in the right direction
• Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays advance to the Championship Series
• Blue Jays: Comparisons for Alek Manoah’s Second Season
• Blue Jays: Adam Cimber, the unlikely decision King

There’s one play that occurred on the final game of the season that was arguably the best catch/play of the year. Sportsnet rated it as the best play of the season on their annual Top 100 MLB plays.

He robbed a would-be home run off the bat of Cedric Mullins that was just about to scale over the fence, but Davis brought it back in.

Advanced stats

Davis is a good fastball hitter as he batted .333 against what typically is a pitcher’s fastest pitch. He was able to hit breaking balls too (.273 batting average) but when it came to off-speed pitches, that’s where he struggled as he failed to record a hit.

Davis’ speed is better than more than three quarters of the league as well, as he is in the 77th percentile in regards to foot speed.

Grade

While the Jays defence ranked 29th in the league, Davis was a bright spot on the defensive side of the ball. While it depends what kind of moves the Jays make during the offseason, Davis may have earned himself a spot based on his speed and defence alone.

He can very well come off the bench as a pinch runner and defensive specialist late into the game for the 2021 season and beyond.

Final grade: B