Jonathan Gregory Davis Baseball Biography
Jonathan Gregory “J.D.” Davis is an American professional baseball third baseman and corner outfielder who has played at the Major League Baseball level since 2017. Davis has appeared for six MLB franchises including the Houston Astros, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, and Los Angeles Angels. He spent part of the 2025 season with the Saitama Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. Davis was drafted by the Houston Astros in the third round of the 2014 MLB Draft after playing college baseball at California State University, Fullerton. He made his MLB debut with the Astros in August 2017 and won a World Series championship with the organization that season.
Early Life and Background
Jonathan Gregory Davis was born on April 27, 1993, and grew up in Elk Grove, California. He attended Elk Grove High School where he established himself as an exceptional two-way baseball player from 2008 to 2011. Davis played first base, third base, and pitched while hitting .444, .337, .486, and .505 across his four high school seasons. As a pitcher, he logged 165 career innings and struck out 219 batters while never posting an earned run average above 2.60.
Davis was one of the top high school prospects in Northern California during his career. He earned four-time All-Delta Valley Conference honors, three-time All-Metro selections, and was named a two-time high school All-American and Northern California Player of the Year. Beyond baseball, Davis also played football as a quarterback and placekicker during his sophomore year in 2008 and earned all-league honors. He suffered a broken leg during a pre-season football scrimmage the following year, which shifted his focus back to baseball full-time.
Following his high school career, Davis was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the fifth round of the 2011 MLB Draft. He did not sign and instead attended California State University, Fullerton, where he played for the Cal State Fullerton Titans from 2012 to 2014.
Path to Professional Baseball
At Cal State Fullerton, Davis developed into one of the top prospects in college baseball. He played right field, first base, and also served as a pitcher, functioning primarily as a closer. In 2012, he played collegiate summer baseball for the Wisconsin Woodchucks of the Northwest League, where he batted .344 and posted a 4-0 record with a 2.10 earned run average as a pitcher. His season ended early when he suffered a broken clavicle in a head-on automobile collision in Wisconsin on July 19. Despite the injury, he was named a summer All-American as a utility player by Perfect Game.
Davis continued his development in 2013 with the Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod Baseball League, one of the premier summer collegiate leagues in the country. He excelled by batting .311 with a .402 on-base percentage and .447 slugging percentage. He was named the East Division Most Valuable Player of the league’s All-Star Game and earned a spot on the Cape Cod All-League Team. That same year as a sophomore at Fullerton, Davis ranked third in the Big West Conference with 50 runs batted in and fourth with 41 walks, earning All-Regional and First Team All-Conference honors.
As a junior in 2014, Davis put together his strongest college season. He ranked second in the conference with a .523 slugging percentage, third with 16 doubles and five triples, and fourth with 32 walks. Over his three seasons at Cal State Fullerton, Davis hit .307 with a .394 on-base percentage and .461 slugging percentage, accumulating 14 home runs and 113 runs batted in across 156 games. On the mound, he recorded a 5-5 win-loss record with a 2.94 earned run average and 11 saves in 36 appearances.
Jonathan Gregory Davis Career
Houston Astros (2017-2018)
Davis was drafted by the Houston Astros in the third round of the 2014 MLB Draft and signed for a signing bonus of $748,600. He made his professional debut with the Tri-City ValleyCats, where he hit .293 with a .371 on-base percentage and .508 slugging percentage in 30 games. He was quickly promoted to the Quad Cities River Bandits of the Single-A Midwest League, finishing the 2014 season with a .303 batting average, eight home runs, and 32 runs batted in while earning Midwest League All-Star honors.
In 2015 with the Lancaster JetHawks of the High-A California League, Davis posted a .289/.370/.520 slash line with 26 home runs and 101 runs batted in, ranking second in the league in runs batted in and sixth in home runs. He earned Arizona Fall League Rising Star recognition after batting .279 with the Glendale Desert Dogs. He continued his ascent through the Astros system in 2016 with the Corpus Christi Hooks of the Double-A Texas League, leading the league with 34 doubles while hitting .268 with 23 home runs and 81 runs batted in.
Davis began 2017 back with Corpus Christi, batting .279 with 21 home runs and 60 runs batted in before earning a promotion to the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies in July. With Fresno, he hit .295 with five home runs and an impressive .993 on-base plus slugging percentage in just 16 games. The Astros promoted Davis to the major leagues on August 5, 2017. He played 25 games with Houston, hitting .226 with four home runs and seven runs batted in. The Astros finished the year with a 101-61 record and won the 2017 World Series. Although Davis did not appear in the playoffs, he was on the 40-man roster and earned his first championship ring.
Davis made Houston’s Opening Day roster in 2018 and appeared in 54 games, batting .175 with one home run. He spent significant time with Fresno that season, where he won the Pacific Coast League batting title with a .342 average while also hitting 17 home runs and driving in 81 runs.
New York Mets (2019-2022)
On January 6, 2019, the Astros traded Davis to the New York Mets in a three-team deal. His first season in New York proved to be his most productive at the major league level. Davis batted .307 with a .369 on-base percentage and .527 slugging percentage, establishing new career highs with 22 home runs and 57 runs batted in across 140 games. He ranked in the top 5 percent of Major League Baseball in average exit velocity at 91.5 miles per hour and maximum exit velocity at 114.7 miles per hour.
The 2020 season was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Davis playing 56 games and slashing .247/.371/.389 with six home runs and 19 runs batted in. A significant injury interrupted his 2021 campaign when he was placed on the 60-day injured list with a left hand sprain on June 25. He underwent surgery to repair a left hand ligament in October. Davis returned to hit .285 with a .384 on-base percentage in 2021, and his .429 average as a pinch-hitter ranked second-best among major league hitters with 20 or more plate appearances.
On March 22, 2022, Davis signed a $2.76 million contract with the Mets, avoiding salary arbitration. In 59 games before being traded, he batted .238 with four home runs and 21 runs batted in in 181 at-bats.
San Francisco Giants (2022-2023)
On August 2, 2022, the Mets traded Davis to the San Francisco Giants as part of a four-player package that included pitchers Carson Seymour, Nick Zwack, and Thomas Szapucki in exchange for first baseman/outfielder Darin Ruf. Davis hit .263 with a .361 on-base percentage and .496 slugging percentage in 20 games to finish the 2022 season with San Francisco. He ranked third in all of Major League Baseball in hard-hit percentage at 56.1 percent and placed in the top 5 percent of the league in barrel percentage and average exit velocity at 92.4 miles per hour.
Davis agreed to a one-year, $4.21 million contract with the Giants on January 13, 2023, avoiding arbitration. He played 144 games in his first full season with San Francisco, batting .248 with a .325 on-base percentage and .413 slugging percentage while hitting 18 home runs and driving in a career-high 69 runs. On February 8, 2024, Davis won his salary arbitration hearing and his contract was increased to $6.9 million. However, the Giants released him on March 11, 2024, with the organization owing him only $1.1 million of that amount.
Oakland Athletics (2024)
Davis signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Oakland Athletics on March 16, 2024. In 39 games with Oakland, he batted .236 with a .304 on-base percentage and .366 slugging percentage, hitting four home runs and driving in five runs. The Athletics designated Davis for assignment on June 18, 2024.
New York Yankees (2024)
On June 23, 2024, the Athletics traded Davis and cash considerations to the New York Yankees in exchange for Jordan Groshans. Davis appeared in just seven games with New York, going 2-for-19 at the plate with one run batted in and three walks. The Yankees designated him for assignment on July 28, and he was released on August 2.
Los Angeles Angels (2025)
Davis signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Angels on January 24, 2025. He began the season with the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees, where he batted .297 with a .357 on-base percentage and .487 slugging percentage, two home runs, and 11 runs batted in across 10 games. The Angels selected Davis’s contract on April 10, adding him to their active roster. He appeared in five games, going 1-for-9 before being designated for assignment on April 29. He cleared waivers and elected free agency on May 1 but re-signed with the Angels on a minor league contract the following day. Davis was released by the Angels organization on June 30, 2025.
Saitama Seibu Lions (2025)
On July 10, 2025, Davis signed with the Saitama Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. He made 36 appearances for the Lions, batting .204 with a .313 on-base percentage and .310 slugging percentage, hitting three home runs and driving in nine runs. Davis became a free agent following the 2025 season.
Kansas City Monarchs (2026-Present)
On June 22, 2026, Davis signed with the Kansas City Monarchs of the American Association of Professional Baseball, an independent baseball league. He joined a franchise with a storied legacy dating back to the Negro Leagues era.
Playing Style and Strengths
Davis is a right-handed hitter known for his exceptional power and exit velocity metrics. His ability to drive the ball with authority has consistently placed him among the top percentiles in Major League Baseball for average exit velocity and hard-hit percentage. He has shown the ability to play both corner outfield positions and first base, along with third base, giving him versatility across the diamond. Davis has demonstrated above-average power against both left-handed and right-handed pitching throughout his professional career.
Notable Events and Milestones
Davis earned his first World Series championship ring with the Houston Astros in 2017 despite not appearing in the postseason. He won the Pacific Coast League batting title in 2018 with a .342 average while playing for the Fresno Grizzlies. His most productive MLB season came in 2019 with the Mets, when he hit 22 home runs and drove in 57 runs while ranking among the top 5 percent of major league hitters in exit velocity metrics. Davis was awarded the MLB Play of the Week on August 26, 2019, for an over-the-shoulder basket catch.
Jonathan Gregory Davis Career Performance
Across his Major League Baseball career spanning parts of eight seasons with six different organizations, Davis has established himself as a power-hitting corner infielder and outfielder. His professional career includes winning a World Series championship, a Triple-A batting title, and multiple minor league All-Star selections. He has accumulated 72 career home runs and 221 runs batted in across his MLB tenure while maintaining a .257 career batting average.
Major League Baseball Highlights
Davis reached the majors with the Houston Astros in August 2017 and was part of their championship team that season. His most sustained success came with the New York Mets from 2019 to 2022, where he combined for 40 home runs and 98 runs batted in across 195 games while establishing himself as one of the top exit velocity hitters in the National League. He followed that with 26 home runs and 83 runs batted in across 164 games with the San Francisco Giants in 2022 and 2023.
International and Minor League Performance
Davis played 36 games with the Saitama Seibu Lions in Nippon Professional Baseball during the 2025 season, hitting three home runs with nine runs batted in. His minor league career includes a standout 2015 season with Lancaster where he drove in 101 runs and hit 26 home runs in the High-A California League. He was named a Midwest League All-Star and a Pacific Coast League All-Star during his developmental years.
| Competition Level | Games | Batting Average | Home Runs | Runs Batted In |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major League Baseball | Unknown | .257 | 72 | 221 |
| Nippon Professional Baseball | 36 | .204 | 3 | 9 |
Jonathan Gregory Davis Family
Family Background
Davis grew up in Elk Grove, California, where he attended Elk Grove High School. Information regarding his parents, siblings, or family lineage in professional baseball is not extensively documented in available sources.
Personal Life
Davis has maintained a relatively private personal life away from professional baseball. He has not had any publicly disclosed marriages or children. Davis attended Elk Grove High School in California before pursuing collegiate baseball at California State University, Fullerton, where he was a three-year starter for the Titans from 2012 to 2014.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season represented a challenging year of transitions for Davis in professional baseball. After beginning the season in the Los Angeles Angels organization following a spring training minor league contract, he earned a promotion to the major league roster in April after hitting .297 with strong on-base and slugging numbers at Triple-A Salt Lake. However, his time with the Angels proved brief as he went 1-for-9 in five games before being designated for assignment near the end of April.
Following his release from the Angels in late June, Davis signed with the Saitama Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan during July. The adjustment to Japanese baseball proved difficult as he batted just .204 with limited power across 36 games. Despite the struggles, the experience provided international baseball exposure and an opportunity to develop his game in a different competitive environment.
Davis became a free agent following the NPB season and eventually signed with the Kansas City Monarchs of the American Association of Professional Baseball in June 2026. The independent league represents an opportunity for Davis to continue his professional career while working toward a potential return to affiliated baseball.