White Sox top prospect Matt Davidson starting to find swing in Charlotte

After a tough start to the season, Matt Davidson is beginning to show some of the promise that led the White Sox to deal away Addison Reed in order to add to former Diamondbacks prospect to their future plans.

The Knights’ third baseman went 2-for-4 and with a home run and two runs scored in a 10-3 loss to the Norfolk Tides on Wednesday. 

In the second inning, Davidson sent a 2-1 Suk-Min Yoon changeup into the left field bleachers to cut the Tides’ lead to 2-1.

That Davidson, 23, connected on his fifth home run of the season was encouraging, but that it came on a changeup made it even more promising.

“That home run just goes back to my approach,” said Davidson, who has been focusing on staying up the middle with his approach. “I wasn’t trying to do too much. I didn’t even hit that ball all that well. I hit it a little off the end of the bat, but I was in a good position to let my mechanics and power take over.”

The two-hit night helped Davidson’s average creep back up over the Mendoza line for the first time since April 20.

His .201 average is 49 points higher than is was following an 0-for-4 showing on May 11.
In the nine games since May 11, the Knights’ top prospect has gone 12-for-33 (.353), with two doubles, two home runs and five RBIs. He’s also posted a strikeout rate of 26-percent, after punching out over 40-percent of the time over the first six weeks.

“Definitely the season hasn’t gone anywhere near how I wanted it to, or in line what I’ve done in the past,” Davidson said. “It’s been a tough struggle, but I’ve been trying to keep as positive as I can as I try to come out of it. I’ve just gotten back to basics and am starting from the ground up. There’s no way to go but up from here, so I’m just focusing on that.”

Davidson came to the Knights with a career batting average of .268 and three consecutive seasons with 20-plus home runs. Right now, he's just trying to get back to normal. 

“He’s coming from one organization to another,” said Knights manager Joel Skinner of Davidson. “Anytime that happens for the first time it can be some sort of an adjustment. It’s a new season and he just got off to a slow start, that’s all.

“He’s got a track record and you can look at what he’s done in the past, so it’s just a matter of him continuing to work and do his thing.”