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Blue Jays prospect D.J. Davis continues to struggle in Australian Baseball League

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 2:28 p.m. ET

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Fansided, Clayton Richer/FanSided via Jays Journal

D.J. Davis had a forgetful 2016 campaign, struggling to make consistent contact and make good on the $1.75 million dollar signing bonus he inked after being selected in the first round of the 2012 amateur draft. The 22-year-old speedster has yet to surpass single-A+ (Dunedin) in his fifth year of professional ball and is slipping on the depth chart with each passing day.

Davis struggled mightily for the Dunedin Blue Jays last season batting .197 with 99 punch outs and a below average .295 OBP and .558 OPS. Davis did manage to steal 22 bases in 28 attempts, however that number could be increased greatly with better offensive production at the plate.

The Blue Jays were hopeful that Davis could turn the page on his disappointing season when he was one of six prospects selected to play for the Canberra Cavalry of the Australian Baseball League. The Cavalry are pushing for a playoff spot with four regular season games remaining, but Davis has displayed much of the same during his stint down under.

In 31 games, Davis is batting an uninspiring .176 with a .252 OBP and a .527 OPS in 102 at-bats with Canberra. The outfielder has struck out 33 times versus only 10 walks and has just three stolen bases in eight attempts.

The native of Mississippi will have to find a way to rekindle his 2015 production for him to have any shot at climbing the minor league ladder. Davis enjoyed his best season to date hitting .282 with a .731 OPS and 21 steals in 129 games with the Lansing Lugnuts. Even during that successful run Davis still managed to whiff 119 times which was down from the 167 times the previous season.

There is no denying Davis has major league speed and the ability to run, the only question is whether or not he will run out of time.

Top-30 Blue Jays prospect rankings:
#30: RHP Jordan Romano     #29: RHP Yennsy Diaz     #28: CF Reggie Pruitt
#27: 1B Ryan McBroom     #26: CF Roemon Fields     #25: 2B Cavan Biggio
#24: RHP Jose Espada     #23: RHP Patrick Murphy     #22: C Danny Jansen
#21: OF Dwight Smith Jr.     #20: RHP Zach Jackson     #19: RHP Francisco Rios
#18: OF Harold Ramirez     #17: C Max Pentecost     #16: LHP Ryan Borucki

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