ATLANTA, GA – JULY 15: The Atlanta Braves logo on a hat against the Chicago White Sox on July 15, 2023 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images)
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The Atlanta Braves’ decision to acquire a 26-year-old rookie pitcher earlier this season was tied to another roster move involving a familiar name, but the new right-hander’s unique debut in the majors had already made him a story of his own.
Atlanta acquired Duncan Davitt shortly after a unique debut moment in the American League, flipping a seven-year backstop veteran for him.
“Atlanta acquired him from the White Sox on deadline day for Joey Bart,” Anthony Franco wrote for MLB Trade Rumors. “That trade was more about alleviating a forthcoming roster crunch in shipping Bart out than it was about adding Davitt, whom Chicago had designated for assignment a few hours before the trade.”
Indeed, the move brought virtually no change to the Braves’ pitching mix, as Davitt has now been quickly snapped up by the San Francisco Giants.
“The San Francisco Giants made the following roster moves today: RHP Duncan Davitt claimed off waivers from Atlanta and optioned to Triple-A Sacramento,” the Giants announced on Wednesday.
Former Atlanta Braves Pitcher Celebrated Unusual Debut Before San Francisco Giants Move
Though Davitt’s time with the Braves was brief, it’s worth noting that he enjoyed a unique debut moment earlier this season, before he was snapped up by the Giants.
“Stop the presses: Duncan Davitt made his Major League debut Friday night for the White Sox during a 2-0 victory for the (Kansas City) Royals at Kauffman Stadium,” Scott Merkin reported for MLB.com. “Davitt, 26, actually made history Thursday during the series opener, even though he never took the mound. It’s an unofficial sort of history, but interesting nonetheless. Davitt became the first player to be recalled from the Minor Leagues, with Triple-A Charlotte being his departure destination in this instance, and then write about said callup that same day in his column entitled ‘Call to the Bullpen.’”
Davitt was able to publish his perspective on the callout so quickly because the outlet that published that column, the Indianola Independent Advocate, is owned by his parents, Amy Duncan and Mark Davitt.
San Francisco Giants Quickly Add Former Atlanta Braves Pitcher After Trade
That unusual sequence accompanied a long climb through professional baseball for Davitt. The Tampa Bay Rays originally selected him before trading him to the White Sox in 2025 as part of the deal that sent Adrian Houser to Chicago. He spent the remainder of that season with Triple-A Charlotte before earning a spot on Chicago’s 40-man roster.
His major league debut finally arrived in April, when he worked a scoreless inning against Kansas City. He has appeared in only two MLB games, making his new opportunity with San Francisco another chance to establish himself.
The emotional weight of finally reaching the majors was captured in the historic piece published by his parent’s paper.
“It’s a whirlwind of emotions being told you’ve achieved a life-long dream,” Davitt wrote.
Now, that dream has brought Davitt to a third organization in roughly a year. He struggled to a 6.29 ERA across 73 Triple-A innings this season, but his 24% strikeout rate and six-pitch arsenal give the Giants another arm to develop.
San Francisco has optioned Davitt to Triple-A Sacramento, meaning his next opportunity may not come immediately. Still, after an unconventional debut and multiple roster turns, the brief Braves pitcher has another chance to prove his major league story is only beginning.
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