Davalillo has extensive baseball family ties with a grandfather (Vic) and great-uncle (Pompeyo) who played in the Majors, a father (David) who reached Double-A before becoming a manager and scout, and a younger brother (Gabriel), who signed with the Angels for $2 million in 2025. David also has a career 2.35 ERA in four pro seasons, led the Minors with a 1.88 mark in 2024 and was the Rangers' organization pitcher of the year in 2025. He originally signed with the Mets for $30,000 out of Venezuela in January 2021, had the deal voided two months later and landed with Texas for $10,000 until June 2022.
Davalillo's best trait is his ability to kill spin on a low-80s splitter that plummets at the plate, limiting hitters to .077/.153/.092 line with a 54 percent swing-and-miss rate in 2025. He also can miss bats with a sweeping low-80s slider that has become a solid offering and an upper-70s curveball, though he has trouble landing the curve in the strike zone. He throws just enough fastballs to keep batters honest, but his two- and four-seamers range from 92-97 mph and are more notable for their command than its life.
Besides his splitter, Davalillo also stands out with the best pitchability and competitive makeup of anyone in the system. He can get strikes with six different pitches -- he also toys with an upper-80s cutter -- and excels at mixing shapes, locations and sequences to get the most out of his arsenal. He'll have to keep proving that he can succeed with a below-average fastball but his formula already has worked through Double-A.
Davalillo’s grandfather Vic and great-uncle Pompeyo both played in the Majors, while his father, David, reached Double-A before continuing in baseball as a manager and scout and David's younger brother, Gabriel, signed with the Angels for $2 million in January. Davalillo had a more humbling entry into pro ball, signing with the Mets for $30,000 in January 2021, having the deal voided two months later and hooking up with the Rangers for $10,000 in June 2022. He raised his profile significantly by leading the Minors with a 1.88 ERA between two Class A stops last season.
Davalillo’s low-80s splitter generated a 58 percent swing-and-miss rate last year and is the lone pitch in his arsenal that grades as better than average. His fastball sits in the low 90s and maxes out at 96 mph, and he’ll ride four-seamers up at the letters and sink two-seamers down at the knees. He has some feel for spinning the ball with his sweeping 78-82 mph slider more effective than his mid-70s curveball, but both could use more power.
Though Davalillo doesn’t have the smoothest delivery, he repeats it well. He throws strikes with his entire repertoire, commands his fastball well and sequences his pitches well. He has some of the system’s best feel for pitching, giving him a chance to succeed as a back-of-the-rotation starter.
