J.D. Davis gives Yu Darvish goosebumps whenever the Japanese-born pitcher talks about facing the New York Mets outfielder.
Yu Darvish is an avid Youtuber. He often posts videos in his native Japanese talking about his life as a major leaguer. In his latest video, Darvish talked about the toughest hitters he faced in 2019. He named New York Mets outfielder J.D. Davis fourth among a list that included names like Christian Yelich and Cody Bellinger.
Yu Darvish, in a video on his YouTube channel was asked to list the five toughest batters he faced in 2019.
1. Christian Yelich
2. Cody Bellinger
3. Josh Bell
4. J.D. Davis (!!)
5. Aristides AquinoHere’s what Darvish said about Davis (transcription via r/baseball): pic.twitter.com/3X37XoLBc0
— Jacob Resnick (@Jacob_Resnick) December 11, 2019
“When I faced him in spring, I knew right then he was special and I even told my teammates that,” Darvish said.
That’s quite the high praise from a four-time in All-Star. However, Darvish wasn’t done yet.
“Now, in the offseason, I have some people I know over at other clubs and some have asked about what I think about J.D. Davis,” Darvish continued. “And when I was writing my text to them, I got goosebumps just thinking about the kind of player he is.”
Mets’ fans know how good Davis was during the 2019 season. However, not many thought that Davis was the kind of hitter who kept pitchers up at night. For Darvish, Davis was a nightmare and one of the best hitters in baseball.
The whole video is below, but it is in Japanese:
Davis has been the subject of many trade rumors this offseason. His poor defense has led to many questioning his long-term fit with the Mets. However, It’s clear form Darvish’s remarks that he doesn’t think that affects the kind of player he is.
Davis could be a special hitter. If the Mets are serious about trading him, they have to make sure the deal is worth it.
One name that has come up multiple times is Starling Marte. While those talks have revolved around Brandon Nimmo to this point, Davis seems to make more sense. He’s under control for longer and he’s a poor fit for this Mets roster.
Considering the Mets seem determined to move an outfielder if they bring in Marte, keep an eye on J.D. Davis, the man who gives Yu Darvish goosebumps.