HIGH POINT — Jaylin Davis was thrilled to return to his home county and be part of a professional baseball championship.
“This might be my last,” said Davis, an outfielder with the York Revolution. “We’ll see what happens.”
The Revolution won the Atlantic League championship, overcoming the High Point Rockers to win Game 4 on Oct. 1 and capture the best-of-5 finals.
Davis, who played in high school for Northeast Guilford and in college for Appalachian State, became part of a championship for the third time. He homered in both games during the series at Truist Point.
“To do it at home, can’t beat it at all,” he said.
Davis hit .316 in the postseason for the third-best mark among the Revolution.
“When I got traded over here, coming here has made me love the game again,” Davis said. “We had a great group over here. When I came over, I knew a couple people but it felt like I had been on the team the whole year.”
Davis, 31, has made major-league stops with the San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox, trying to work his way back to the top level since 2022. He had been with the Milwaukee Milkmen of the American Association before he was dealt to the Revolution in early June.
He resides in Gilbert, Arizona, but he said he stays well connected to Greensboro. Following the championship series, he planned to spend a couple of weeks in the area before departing, including a visit to his alma mater in McLeansville.
If Game 4 was his final time in uniform as a player, it was quite a send-off. He homered with a shot down the right-field line in the eighth inning, acknowledging his personal fan club by pointing to the cheering group as he rounded the bases.
This marked Davis’ first go-around in the Atlantic League. By mid-September, he was pulling for the Rockers to emerge from the South Division for a potential matchup in the finals and another visit to Guilford County.
The Revolution overcame a three-run deficit to win 7-4 to secure the title in Game 4.
Davis had won titles as a minor leaguer with the Fort Myers Miracle (Minnesota Twins organization) and Sacramento River Cats (San Francisco organization).
“It all feels the same,” he said of winning amid an extended on-field celebration with teammates and staff.
Aside from the location, there was familiarity for Davis because of the Rockers’ roster. Veteran slugger Alex Dickerson was a teammate with the Giants, while he has connections from his younger baseball days with North Carolinians Braxton Davidson and D.J. Burt and, to a lesser degree, Evan Edwards.
With three homers in the postseason, Davis matched the York franchise record. He homered 17 times during the regular season.
He appeared in 38 total major league games across four different seasons. Yet a decade of professional baseball has taken a toll on his body, he said.
“I’ve enjoyed my time playing. I still enjoy it, but I feel like I can help on the other side, the coaching side. I still want to stay in baseball,” Davis said. “I think I’m ready for what’s next, but we’ll see. Maybe somebody will talk me into coming back.”
