BRADENTON, Fla. — The differences in Henry Davis' work at the plate so far this spring have been hard to miss. He's more upright in his stance. His bat is quicker through the zone, and he's been focused on hitting the ball to all fields.

Great stuff, all of it. But the biggest change I've seen with Davis isn't physical, at least when it comes to something he does or doesn't do on a baseball field. Talk to Davis about damn near anything these days, and the smile gives it away.

So does his general vibe or belief in the current process — something that Davis admitted wavered during 37 games last year that were disappointing for everyone, most notably the No. 1 overall pick in 2021.

"It was a little bit difficult to feel like I was confident in what I was doing," Davis told me Monday morning at LECOM Park. "I've always been able to stick to the process, but I didn't really believe in it.

"At a certain point, when I'm getting away from my strengths, I want to do the things I know I do well as a player. Hit the fastball really well. Cover spin. Play hard. Things like that. I got back to basics this offseason."

Untangling what happened to Davis last year obviously matters. So does this particular draft pick panning out.

But I also think it shows an important bigger-picture development with the Pirates, going from how things were done with certain guys last season to a more individualized approach that has been exhibited by new hitting coach Matt Hague.

First, though, let's start with what Davis lacked in his second MLB season.

Davis, 25, hit just .144 in 122 plate appearances, posting a .453 OPS and striking out 45 times — roughly 37%. Against fastballs, Davis hit just .056. Left-hand inflammation caused him to end the year on the injured list.

It was a step backward after Davis debuted in 2023 and hit .295 with an .854 OPS through his first 27 big-league games. That's when a concussion and left-wrist issues stalled his progress.

"We talked plenty last year about some things I tried to do to kind of cover every pitch in the zone," Davis said. "It kinda of left me covering none of them.

"I feel like myself in the box. That's when I feel the most confident."

That last part has been a huge part of Davis' 180. It started last fall, when he reviewed his at-bats from 2024 and knew his confidence lacked.

Physically and mentally, Davis wanted to be more resolute, with a larger goal in mind: to become the best version of himself, the one who throughout the minor leagues had no problem handling heat, the one who stepped into the batter's box confident in his ability to do damage.

"It was more getting back to what I know I do well and focusing on my strengths," Davis said. "I've always been someone who's incredibly confident when I'm at the plate. I feel like I can touch any pitch and do damage in any situation. I always want to be up there."

Searching for results, Davis tried tweak after tweak to get them — never an ideal place.

I've known Davis since about five minutes after the Pirates drafted him and have always respected the way he carries himself. Super intense. Comes from a place of care. Willing to try or do anything if he thinks it'll help the team or his own personal situation.

That includes a failed right-field experiment as a rookie, and my hunch is that it probably included too many adjustments last season, stuff Davis didn't really believe that left him feeling uncomfortable or short on confidence at the plate.

On TV and the past few days in-person, I really like what I've observed from Davis, along with the process I'm hearing about with Hague. No cookie-cutter stuff. Meet players where they are. Treat each differently.

One small example: On Tuesday morning, I watched Hague talk to Tommy Pham about bat speed and various swing metrics the veteran wants to check, as well as specific situations where the veteran outfielder should direct his attention.

Little stuff, no wars won in March ... but nonetheless unique to the individual and important. It's been the same for Davis and so many others.

"He has put a lot of confidence in me as a hitter," Davis said of Hague. "I've performed at every level so far except the major leagues. I had a small stint right when I got up here, but since then, it's been tough to replicate that with any sort of consistency.

"I've been thrilled with how he can filter out information and give it to me in a couple bullet points. Just keeping it simple, letting me be myself when I'm in the box."

Some on the outside have framed this as a make-or-break year for Davis. I don't subscribe to that. Davis has played 99 MLB games. There's still time.

But I do think he learned a few important lessons last season and this winter about conviction and confidence. Not sure he had enough of either during his second pro season.

Life is much different for Davis these days. He's smiling and more relaxed. Davis is also swinging in a way that should have him better calibrated to be on time for fastballs and comfortable and confident enough to adjust to everything else.

With two weeks of spring ball left, I can't escape the feeling that something feels different about a player the Pirates really need to have a breakthrough year.

"He's in a good headspace," Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. "There are some challenges coming to the big leagues, struggling a little bit. He's been really good as a minor league player, and we think that's going to transition into being a good big-league player. But just really happy with his mindset. He's been outstanding all spring."

____

© 2025 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Visit www.post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.