Johnny Davis (baseball, born 1990) facts for kids

Johnathan Lewis Davis (born April 26, 1990) is an American professional baseball player. He plays as an outfielder, which means he helps catch balls hit into the outfield. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays. Currently, he is a free agent, meaning he is not signed with any team.

Johnny Davis's Baseball Journey

Johnny Davis grew up in Compton, California. He didn't play much organized baseball when he was younger. In fact, he only played one year of Little League when he was 13! He didn't even play baseball in high school.

After high school, Johnny went to West Los Angeles College in 2013. This was his only year playing college baseball. He did really well, hitting for a high average of .336. He also hit 3 home runs and stole 22 bases. Stealing bases means running to the next base after the ball is pitched, without the batter hitting it.

Starting with the Milwaukee Brewers

Because of his good performance in college, the Milwaukee Brewers picked Johnny in the 22nd round of the 2013 MLB draft. This was the start of his professional baseball career.

He began playing for different teams linked to the Brewers:

• In 2013, he played for the AZL Brewers.
• In 2014, he joined the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.
• In 2015, he played for the Brevard County Manatees. However, he got a serious knee injury (a torn ACL), which meant he could only play 10 games that year.
• He came back in 2016, playing for both the Manatees and the Biloxi Shuckers. He showed his speed by stealing 32 bases.
• In 2017, he continued with the Biloxi Shuckers and stole an amazing 52 bases!
• He started the 2018 season with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox before leaving the Brewers organization.

Playing in Independent Leagues

After leaving the Brewers, Johnny played for teams that are not part of Major League Baseball. These are called independent leagues.

• In May 2018, he joined the Kansas City T-Bones in the American Association.
• Then, in July 2018, he moved to the Mexican League and played for the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos. He had a great time there, hitting 4 home runs and stealing 28 bases. He returned to this team in 2019 and stole 48 more bases!
• Later in 2019, he was loaned to the Guerreros de Oaxaca for a short time.

Reaching Major League Baseball with the Tampa Bay Rays

On August 29, 2019, Johnny signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Rays. This was a big step towards playing in the MLB! He played a few games for their minor league teams, the Montgomery Biscuits and the Durham Bulls.

Then, on September 11, 2019, the Rays called him up to the major leagues. This was his dream come true! He made his MLB debut that night against the Texas Rangers. He entered the game as a pinch runner, which means he ran the bases for another player.

Just two days later, on September 13, he got his very first hit in the major leagues. It was a triple, which means he hit the ball far enough to reach third base! He hit it off a pitcher named Jake Jewell.

After the 2019 season, Johnny became a free agent again. He did re-sign with the Rays for 2020, but the minor league season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, he didn't get to play that year.

More Independent and Mexican League Baseball

Johnny continued his career in other leagues:

• In June 2021, he signed with the Sultanes de Monterrey in the Mexican League.
• Later in July 2021, he joined the Mariachis de Guadalajara, also in the Mexican League. He hit two home runs and stole three bases for them.
• In March 2022, he played for the Gastonia Honey Hunters in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.
• In May 2022, he returned to the Mexican League with the Leones de Yucatán. With the Leones, Johnny helped his team win the Mexican League Championship in 2022!

Retirement and Comeback

On February 20, 2023, Johnny Davis announced he was retiring from professional baseball. However, he decided to come back! On March 19, 2024, he signed with the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League. A week later, he was traded to the Charros de Jalisco. But he became a free agent again before the season officially started.