Jaylin Davis beat the odds, spending parts of four seasons in Major League Baseball after being selected in the 24th round of the 2015 draft — a round that no longer exists — by the Minnesota Twins out of Appalachian State University.
Thursday, when he announced his retirement, Davis revealed he did not take it for granted .
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“After a lot of thought, I’ve decided to hang up the cleats and officially retire from professional baseball,” Davis wrote on his Instagram account. “I’m beyond grateful for every part of the journey — the long bus rides, rain delays, and late-night Waffle House runs, but most of all, the friendships and memories that came with them. Baseball has taken me places I never dreamed of and taught me lessons I’ll carry for the rest of my life.”
Davis, 31, made his major league debut on Sept. 4, 2019 with the San Francisco Giants after being acquired in a midseason trade that sent reliever Sam Dyson to the Twins. The call-up was the culmination of a big year in the minors, where he hit a combined 35 homers and posted a .306/.397/.590 line across three levels — work he credited to a refined swing and improved consistency at the plate.
Davis singled in his first game, but finished the year with a .167 batting average (7 for 42) in 17 games. The outfielder would appear in only four games in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, going 2 for 12 (.167).
In 2021, Davis spent most of the year in Triple-A again. He slashed .230/.317/.503 with 11 home runs in 43 games for the Sacramento River Cats, the Giants’ top farm team. That year, Davis missed significant time with knee and hamstring injuries and appeared in only five big league games.
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The Giants designated Davis for assignment in April 2022, and he was claimed a week later by the Red Sox. He fared well in limited time in Boston (.333/.407/.375 in 12 games) but slashed only .203/.312/.334 in 88 games at Triple-A Worcester.
Davis elected free agency after the season and received an invitation to spring training with the New York Mets for 2023. But Davis struggled to put the ball in play consistently, slashing .216/.333/.437 with 95 strikeouts in 318 plate appearances between their Single-A and Triple-A affiliates.
Davis extended his professional career two seasons in independent leagues. He split the 2025 season between the Milwaukee Milkmen of the American Association and the York Revolution of the Atlantic League, hitting a combined .219 with 17 home runs and 54 RBIs in 88 games.
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