Bo Davidson’s huge first inning in MLB debut shows what Giants prospect made of originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO — Before his MLB debut, Bo Davidson put his own twist on Bo Knows.
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While sitting in the dugout after the Giants took batting practice, Davidson said he was just eager to show everyone “who Bo is.” A reporter followed up with an obvious question: “What is Bo?”
“You’ll see,” Davidson said.
He seemed to know what was coming, and he wasn’t wrong.
Davidson had a hit, stolen base and run in his first inning in the big leagues, showing off the skills that have made him a top 100 prospect. He is a fascinating blend of power and speed, and that first at-bat showed off an approach at the plate that should allow him to tap into his natural gifts.
Oh, and there’s also quite a bit of confidence. That will help at this level.
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Davidson said after the 5-2 win over the Minnesota Twins that it felt “just like another day in the office” and was “what I expected.” He looked right at home, and it was that way from the start.
Davidson didn’t look to be feeling any nerves before the game, but if they were there, it didn’t take long to knock them loose. The first two balls in the top of the first were hit his way, and he got to settle in with two routine catches.
In the bottom of the first, he got an early opportunity to show why he’s such an exciting prospect at the plate. Davidson hit 29 homers in 125 games in Double-A and Triple-A this year, and he took some huge cuts in his first taste of big league life.
Zebby Matthews threw the kitchen sink at Davidson in his first at-bat, and he fouled off three two-strike pitches — a slider, cutter and fastball — before roping a cutter into right for a single. The first hit came on the ninth pitch of the at-bat, making Davidson just the fourth player since 2000 to see that many pitches before getting a hit his first time up in the big leagues.
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“Someone pointed that out in the dugout, that he was adjusting to different pitches,” manager Tony Vitello said. “He does adjust a bit with two (strikes) but it’s always going to be an aggressive hack. It’s one of the reasons he hits the ball hard. I mean, it’s a different version of Rafi (Devers).
“I just thought the way he walked into the box, the way he stood in there, the way he acted today … (with) some guys, it takes a minute to adjust to whatever situation or you need reps in the ninth inning with the game on the line. I think he’s dying for that.”
Davidson put it more succinctly.
“Just in there competing,” he said. “Just competing.”
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The Giants promoted Davidson on Monday when they put Bryce Eldridge and Jung Hoo Lee on the IL. For Eldridge, there’s no doubt about his stature heading into 2027. He’ll be in the heart of the lineup every night, either at first base or DH.
Lee, though, might all of a sudden find himself in a crowd. Drew Gilbert had three more hits Monday and crushed his 11th homer, and Jonah Cox played a nice second base, continuing to show off the versatility that should easily put him on the 2027 roster.
Vitello wants to see more of Turner Hill this last week, and Victor Bericoto is coming off a strong weekend and has had some real highs this year. Scott Bandura and Grant McCray have gotten reps, and Marcelo Mayer‘s return was a reminder that Casey Schmitt might end up back in left field next season.
It’s a puzzle, but it’s a good one for the organization. After decades of failing to develop outfielders, they all of a sudden have a pretty big collection, and this group at the big leagues doesn’t even include Dakota Jordan, who finished his season in Double-A and will participate in the Fall League, or the possibility that one of the young middle infielders might have to move to the outfield in the next year or two.
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Davidson is as physically gifted as any of them, and if he hits his ceiling, he should emerge from the pack at some point next year. That’s far from his mind at the end of 2026, though.
“It’s amazing just to be in the clubhouse with some of the guys that I’ve been with all year, and we’ve all touched the final stage together,” he said. “It’s going to be pretty cool and very special here soon.”
