Minor leagues

Davidson was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 19th round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft.^[6] Davidson ended his collegiate baseball career to sign with the Braves organization, instead of joining the NC State Wolfpack baseball team as he had planned.^[6][7]

Davidson made his professional debut with the Rookie-level Gulf Coast Braves, going 0–3 with a 1.52 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 29+2⁄3 innings in 11 games (one start).^[8] He spent 2017 with the Single–A Rome Braves, pitching to a 5–4 record with two saves and a 2.60 ERA in 103+2⁄3 innings over 31 games (12 starts).^[9]

He then played 2018 with the Florida Fire Frogs of the High–A Florida State League, compiling a 7–10 record and 4.18 ERA in 14 starts.^[10] Davidson started 2019 with the Double–A Mississippi Braves and was named a Southern League All-Star, before being promoted to the Gwinnett Stripers of the Triple-A East with whom he had four starts.^[11][12] Over 25 starts between both clubs, he went 8–7 with a 2.15 ERA in 25 starts, striking out 134 over 129+2⁄3 innings.^[13][14]

Major leagues

On November 19, 2019, the Braves added Davidson to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.^[15] Before the 2020 Minor League Baseball season was canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Davidson was scheduled to begin the year at Gwinnett.^[16] Instead, he was named to the Atlanta Braves' 60-member player pool for the shortened 2020 Major League Baseball season.^[17][18] Davidson was promoted to the major leagues for the first time from the team's alternate site on September 25, 2020.^[19][20] Davidson faced the Boston Red Sox the next day and took the loss, yielding two earned runs and seven total, in 1+2⁄3 innings pitched, in his only game of the season.^[21][22]

In 2021, in four starts for the Braves, Davidson was 0–0 with a 3.60 ERA in 20 innings. For Gwinnett, he was 2–2 in four starts with a 1.17 ERA in 23 innings in which he struck out 28 batters, giving up only 11 hits and 5 walks.^[8] On June 24, 2021, Davidson was placed on the 60-day injured list with left forearm inflammation.^[23]

On October 27, 2021, Davidson was added to the Braves' roster for the World Series against the Houston Astros after Charlie Morton suffered a fractured fibula.^[24][25] On October 31, 2021, he was announced as the starter for Game 5.^[26][27] Davidson pitched two innings, giving up four runs (two earned) and did not factor into the decision of the Braves’ eventual 9–5 loss.^[28] The team would go on to win the World Series as they won the game with a score of 7–0 in Houston.

On April 7, 2022, it was announced that Davidson had made the Braves Opening Day roster for the first time in his career.^[29] He pitched the first five innings of a shutout against the Milwaukee Brewers on May 17 for his first career victory.^[30][31]