Mar 21, 2022; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Chicago Cubs right field Brennen Davis reacts after being hit by a pitch in the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds during spring training at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

Yankees Promote Former Cubs Top Prospect

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Jack Markowski | Last updated Jun 3, 2025 6:00 PM ET

Amidst a flurry of promotions throughout their minor league system, the New York Yankees sent an intriguing reclamation project to Triple-A after some positive early results with the organization.

As noted by the New York Daily News' Gary Phillips, outfielder Brennen Davis is joining the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders after launching two home runs over eight games with Double-A Somerset.

Brennen Davis is also going to Triple-A. He's an interesting name. The former #Cubs pick was a consensus top-100 prospect before injuries & has shown he can hit the ball hard. He had 2 HR in 8 games at Somerset. #Yankees https://t.co/FrJ8KMsoZV
— Gary Phillips (@GaryHPhillips) June 3, 2025

Davis has had a rollercoaster of a professional career up to this point. A native of Chandler, Ariz., the Chicago Cubs selected him in the second round of the 2018 MLB Draft and convinced him to forgo a commitment to the University of Miami with a slightly above-slot signing bonus of $1.1 million.

After slashing .305/.381/.525 to go alongside eight home runs in 204 plate appearances for Single-A South Bend in 2019, Davis was rated as a top-100 prospect by MLB Pipeline (No. 78), Baseball Prospectus (No. 92) and Baseball America (No. 94) ahead of the 2020 campaign.

No minor league games were played that year due to COVID, but Davis came out swinging in 2021 and batted .260/.375/.494 with 19 home runs across three levels, reaching as high as Triple-A Iowa at just 21-years-old while also winning All-Star Futures Game MVP at Coors Field that summer.

Pipeline (No. 15), Baseball America (No. 16) and Baseball Prospectus (No. 27) all subsequently ranked Davis as a top-30 farmhand in the league before the 2022 season, essentially making him a blue-chipper.

He suffered a knee contusion during spring training that year, though there was no structural damage, before dealing with a back injury that required surgery. Davis appeared in just 53 games, most of which came at Triple-A, and struggled with a .597 OPS while striking out 65 times in 214 plate appearances.

It was more of the same for Davis in 2023, as he underwent core muscle surgery that June and slashed .201/.297/.307 over 71 contests.

The never-ending injuries followed him into 2024 too, as he suffered a concussion in spring training before sustaining a back fracture in June and fracturing his left ankle in September.

The Cubs designated Davis for assignment back in November, and the Yankees opted to bring him into the fold on a minor league deal in December.

He began his 2025 season in the Florida Complex League last month, where he tore the cover off the ball with a 1.576 OPS in 21 trips to the plate and earned a promotion to Somerset.

Now, Davis will look to build on the .890 OPS he had in Double-A while sitting just one step away from the major leagues with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Luck has not been on his side over the past few years, but he's certainly talented enough to warrant consideration for a spot on the Yankees' 26-man roster if he can stay healthy.

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