Right Now, Chris Davis Should Be Playing Every Night
The headline you see above might sound crazy, especially if you don’t watch the O’s, but it makes, I promise. Davis is hitting again, he’s one of the few recognizable faces on Baltimore’s young roster, and at this point, his at-bats won’t be going to prospects or players with higher ceilings. So, for the sake of sheer entertainment value, and because he actually deserves it, Chris Davis should, once again, be a fixture in the Orioles lineup for the time being.
Exhibit A: Chris Davis is Hitting
After an epic slump that caught the attention of every baseball writer and national sports publication, Chris Davis is hitting again. He didn’t turn into Christian Yelich or anything overnight but it’s clear that he’s got some swagger back.
Between Opening Day and April 12th, Davis played in 12 games, recording zero hits while striking out 16 times. Even for Davis, who is prone to major slumps, this was bad. Yet, it can’t be discounted the toll a slump takes on a hitter’s mind. On a national stage, it’s multiplied, and when your hometown fans turn on you, it legitimately can’t get any worse.
When Davis started breaking records that no player wants to break, however, O’s fans started encouraging him when he stepped to the plate. Call me old fashioned, but I think the support helped. A few days after Baltimore fans relented, he broke out of his rut with a line-drive single off Cy Young-winning pitcher Rick Porcello, two doubles, and four RBIs in an O’s win at Boston. And before Baltimore left Bean Town, he had smashed his first homer.
Ever since his slump-busting performance at Fenway Park, the two-time AL home run king has been more than capable in the box. Post-slump, Davis is hitting .360, recording nine hits in 25 at-bats. Five of the nine knocks, I should note, have been extra-base hits.
Sure, it’s a small sample size, but he’s confident now and that’s super important.
Exhibit B: Davis Won’t Be Stunting Player Development
Cedric Mullins got demoted, freeing up the massive outfield logjam. There are no longer four outfielders that need to play, either because they were deserving — like Dwight Smith Jr. and Trey Mancini — or because we needed to gauge their ability, like Mullins. So instead of sitting Davis, moving Mancini to first and letting Mullins, Smith Jr., and Joey Rickard roam, Davis should lock into first with the remaining three in the outfield.
With the current lineup, Davis is one of Baltimore’s best nine.
Few, if any, Orioles have the game-changing power of Davis and his advanced stats back that up; Davis leads the team in Hard-Hit Percentage (51.5) and his 97.1 Exit Velocity is second to only Renato Nunez (92.6). He does strike out too much still, and lefties can be an issue, but he’s working the count all the time. Per Statcast, Davis has the lowest Chase % of any Orioles hitter with at least 40 at-bats and only Jesus Sucre has a lower 1st Pitch Swing %.
Since his slump ended, he’s started exactly 50 percent of Baltimore’s games (5 of 10 games). Moving forward, that number should (hopefully) get to 80Â or 90 percent. A day off here and there is deserved.
Having said that, all bets are off when (and if) the Orioles call up Austin Hayes, Yusniel Diaz, or Ryan Mountcastle.
Exhibit C: Chris Davis is Still the Face of the Orioles
Believe it or not, Chris Davis, with all his struggles in the last two years, is still the face of the Baltimore Orioles. If you were to ask a casual baseball fan to name players from Baltimore’s roster, many would say Chris Davis first, then struggle immediately after. And with all their turnover, I’m pretty sure if you polled 100 people at Camden Yards for their favorite Oriole, Davis would get the most votes.
If you don’t believe me, all you need to do is go to the Majestic Orioles Team Store at Camden Yards; Chris Davis’ No. 19 jersey is everywhere. Behind the counter, where the authentic jerseys are, he’s the only current player represented. He’s still bankable in Baltimore, period.
As the only position player remaining from their most recent postseason appearance and the only former All-Star on the roster, fans definitely have an attachment to Davis. They booed because they knew he was better, not because they hate him. Now, with the roster light and no expectations, fans should be able to see Davis in action all the time, not just when the matchup is right.
He’s built equity with the fanbase, he’s not hurting other player’s development, and the way he’s been hitting, he may send one rolling down Eutaw Street.