Three years after being selected in the sixth round of the Major League Baseball draft, former University of Hawai'i pitcher Aaron Davenport is enjoying the best season start in his professional career.
The former Rainbow Warrior ace, drafted by Cleveland in 2021, has found his stride as a starter for Double-A Akron. Davenport boasts a 4-1 record in 2024, maintaining a stingy 1.87 ERA and recording 47 strikeouts through his first 10 appearances.
Davenport's journey through the minor leagues has been marked by both growing pains and injuries. Now 23, he has learned to appreciate the ups and downs, staying focused on his ultimate goal.
"Baseball will expose you really quick," Davenport said. "You have to have that mindset. You're going to fail, and you're going to succeed. But I keep that future mindset. You have one goal, and that's it. Nothing's going to stop you."
Davenport's approach to the game emphasizes learning from every experience, whether positive or negative. "When things are great, awesome. When things are bad, not awesome, but everything is a chance to learn something," he said.
Reflecting on his development, Davenport added, "If you put a timeline on things and they don't happen, that can create a downhill. My main focus for this year was just to go out and pitch. I'll give a little shout-out to Coach Trapasso, who always said to limit the noise, just limit the outside noise and focus on the task at hand. Doing that, good things come."
Since 2021, Davenport has accumulated 286 strikeouts over 64 minor league games.
During his time at the University of Hawai'i, the Washington native recorded a combined 3.78 ERA with 180 strikeouts in 173 innings as a Rainbow Warrior.
