10 Sep Getting to Know J.D. Davis
Name: Jonathan Gregory “J.D.” Davis
Born: April 27, 1993 (age 26) in Elk Grove, California
Position: Third baseman/Left field
Drafted: By the Astros in 2014 out of Cal State Fullerton, where he pitched 66 innings and went 5-5 with a 3.00 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 48 strike outs.
MLB debut: August 5, 2017, for the Houston Astros 2019
Salary: $561,420
Favorite Boyhood Idols: Derek Jeter & Scott Rolen
What do you love most about playing in New York? The energy. I love it. It’s a lion’s den. You can’t shy away from it, like you got to go out there, and it’s the bright lights, the Big Apple, got to have fun with it. You know you’re going to fail, know you’re going to get a few boos in there, but I’d rather have fans that are passionate and pay attention to the game than fans that don’t show up at all.
What’s your style of play? I play the game hard. I try to get dirty every single game. If I don’t get dirty, I didn’t do a good job that game. I try to hustle, even if I’m not the fastest guy. I try to be smart on the bases. I try to be a good teammate.
Do you think the team as a whole likes Mickey Callaway? I think guys absolutely love playing for him. He’s got great energy. I haven’t heard or felt any disconnection with him or anything like that or guys getting upset with him.
Is there any player you modeled your game after growing up? When I was younger I looked up to David Wright and Scott Rolen as third basemen because I knew I wanted to be a third baseman. So those were two guys that were role models. On and off the field, they were good leaders, good teammates and just went about the business the right way. You see the game growing up, Ken Griffey how the way he played, enjoyment always had a smile on his face.
The second half of the season you have been on fire. What have you done to make your game so much better this half? It’s a mental thing. I have to get the ball out in front. Chili Davis has been working a lot with me. We’ve been going over a lot of tape and things have just been clicking.
Do you still think this team has a chance to get the wild card? Definitely. I think just because we look around in the clubhouse and we see all this talent. We see the experience, we see the talent, and we all notice that we all have a will to win. We have a good camaraderie, we go out to eat all the time with each other if it’s on the road or at home. But we really care about playing the game the right way, and then obviously winning. We don’t quit!