Rajai Davis
Everyone remembers game 7 of the 2016 World Series when the Cleveland Indians were down 6 to 4 in the bottom of the 8th inning. Rajai Davis was batting against the flame-throwing Aroldis Chapman, and Davis hit one of the most memorable home runs in Indians franchise history to tie the game.
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Unfortunately for the Tribe, it just wasn’t meant to be that year, but now Rajai is back and looking to be a part of another deep postseason run. Davis has never been much of a hitter in his big-league career, but at 37 years young he still has the wheels and defensive prowess to be a valuable part of championship caliber team.
Last season, Davis was still one of the fastest players in all of baseball according to Statcast’s sprint speed statistic ranking just a tick behind teammate Bradley Zimmer. While he was slightly below average regarding Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating last season for his play in the outfield, Statcast’s Outs Above Average metric for outfield defense still saw Davis as an average fielder.
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Davis also still has a knack for stealing bases as he swiped 29 bags last season while seeing his playing time reduced. Rajai Davis isn’t likely going to be a game changer for the Indians in 2018, but he could provide valuable depth and good speed that should make him a useful player this seaso