Chris Davis Just Wrapped Up Maybe The Worst Offensive Season Ever
I think everyone associated with the Orange and Black is happy that the 2018 season is over. The team had the fourth worst record in modern baseball, and the worst year in franchise history. 2018 stunk and everyone knew that. No one wanted this season to end more than Chris Davis, and can you blame him? The guy has been in a downward spiral for over two years, but seemed to hit rock bottom this season. He finished the 2018 season with the lowest batting average EVER out of all the qualifying players. $161 million dollar man, worst average in history.
Davis, who is still owed more than $100 million dollars by the Orioles, was essentially benched the last week of the season to prevent his stats from getting worse and worse, making his last appearance on September 22nd. His final numbers? A .168 batting average, 16 homers, 49 RBIs, an OBP % of .243, 12 doubles, 79 hits, 41 walks, 192 strikeouts (56 of them looking) a slugging % of .296, and an OPS of .539 in 128 games. It truly is incredible how terrible he has been since signing his deal after the 2015 season, I mean it is mind bottling. Have you ever seen a grown man just forget how to play baseball? Because I’ve been watching it for three years. He missed 34 games and still finished fourth in baseball in Ks, wild. He doesn’t barrel up any balls anymore either, nothing hard hit, nothing. They’re all weak ground balls to the right side, a bloop pop up, or a K. It honestly looks like he got his powers taken away from him like in Space Jam.
Let me break down some other stats for you….
– Against the Red Sox this season in 50 at-bats, Chris Davis batted .100 with a home run, two RBI, and 29 Ks. Solid.
– Against the Yankees this season in 59 at-bats, Chris Davis batted .169 with two home runs, four RBI, and 24 Ks. Solid.
– Against the Rays this season in 62 at-bats, Chris Davis batted .177 with three home runs, seven RBI, and 24 Ks. Solid.
-Against the Blue Jays this season in 54 at-bats, Chris Davis batted .167 with one home run, eight RBI, and 26 Ks. Solid.
– Davis went 1 for his last 37 to finish the season with 20 Ks. Solid.
Just a few years ago he was finishing in the top 3 for AL MVP, and one of the most feared hitters in baseball. Now I think there is a legit chance I could strike him out looking. He never looked focused during the season, he came into Spring Training saying he would bunt if a team shifted on him and gave him the bunt…. he tried it three times and gave up, he was put at the top of the lineup at the leadoff spot to try and help him, that didn’t work. Nothing is working with him, and he isn’t DOING ANYTHING TO FIX IT. Jim Palmer ripped him during a game this season and basically called Davis a liar. Davis said he had been working on adjustments with the hitting coach, but Palmer said that was BS and it wasn’t happening. When a Hall Of Famer who won a World Series game in 3 different decades is calling you out, you should probably change something.
It’s just unbelievable with him, its night after night where you looked at the box score and saw “Davis: 0/4 4 Ks”. Like clockwork. He was a legit monster in his contract year back in 2015, and back in 2013. Of course in 2014 he had his suspension for Adderall and batted under .200. And like I mentioned earlier, since he signed the massive deal, he has been absolute garbage with no end in sight. Since signing that deal after the 2015 season he is batting .202 with 80 homers, 194 driven in, 48 doubles, 302 hits, 204 runs, an OBP of .298, slugging .397, and an OPS of .695. Disgusting numbers. I know we’re in a different time now where it’s okay to strike out now, no one is embarrassed about it. But the fact that Davis is a black hole in the lineup and can’t do anything productive is driving everyone crazy, not just Orioles fans, but people in the warehouse too.
The worst part of it all is he is under contract for another four years, so he’s getting his $23 mill per season regardless if he’s hitting dongs or not. The big question is when will the Orioles decide enough is enough. Do they Bring back Dan Duquette and hire a new manager and leave it up to them? Does the new manager plant his flag and say Davis is out? I think they’ll give Davis all offseason to FINALLY try and fix something, make ANY adjustment, and then see where he is after Spring Training and re-evaluate. Would it surprise me if they ate all the money on his deal? Yes, because the Orioles just can’t do that, they aren’t the Sox and can just eat large contracts. It’s not like this team will compete for anything in the next few seasons, so my guess is he’ll be out there taking up a large spot on the bench and DHing.
There is no sign of Davis turning this around, even in the new Sports Illustrated article he talks about the toll it takes on him, and how he knows he’s struggling. If he meant that don’t you think he would at least attempt to adjust his batting stance or do anything to help him? At this point, it doesn’t seem like he really cares. I guess we’ll find out in 2018, either way, cash those checks, Chris. Can’t get much worse than this, eh? Just three years ago the fans were chanting his name and begging him to re-sign in Baltimore, now everyone and their mother wants him to be working as a hotdog guy next season. Life comes at you fast.
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