Baltimore Orioles: Chris Davis leadoff experiment off to poor start…as expected

SARASOTA, FL - FEBRUARY 23: Chris Davis
SARASOTA, FL - FEBRUARY 23: Chris Davis

The Baltimore Orioles experimented on opening day by slotting slugger Chris Davis as the leadoff hitter. The leadoff role has changed over the years, but Davis is hitting leadoff, seriously?

First baseman Chris Davis went 0-for-4 in his debut as the Baltimore Orioles leadoff hitter in the season opener. Yes, you read that correctly. Davis, the 6’3’’, 230 pound, former home run champ, saw the first pitches of the season for Baltimore.

He did manage to draw a walk, but he did not score, and I can assure you he didn’t swipe any bags. MLB teams are becoming more and more experimental in today’s game, but this move by Baltimore, really?

Granted, the leadoff role has changed over the last decade. The traditional leadoff hitter—skinny, fast, and high-contact—seems to be the minority these days. We now see some serious sluggers stepping up to the plate as the first batter of a lineup.

For example, George Springer of the Astros or Charlie Blackmon of the Rockies. Both players can hit 30+ home runs in a season, but they’re also athletic, young outfielders that can cause havoc on the base paths and hit for high averages.

BALTIMORE, MD – SEPTEMBER 22: Chris Davis
BALTIMORE, MD – SEPTEMBER 22: Chris Davis /

The leadoff role has modified; however, not drastically enough to where Chris Davis-esque players should be taking over. Chris Davis is an outstanding power hitter. He has specific offensive strengths, but none of them qualify him to be a leadoff hitter. In fact, he may be the least qualified hitter in MLB to bat leadoff.

Davis’ well-known upper-cut swing produces a ton of fly balls and a ton of strikeouts. He is not slow for his size, though, he is slow in the spectrum of the entire league. He does draw a decent number of walks, and he gets on base at a solid clip, but he did those things as a middle of the order hitter. Teams aren’t going to pitch around Davis as a leadoff hitter, especially when Manny Machado next up to bat.

It’s challenging to reason this decision. A few teams have opted to push one of their best hitters into the one or two spots in a lineup to maximize the number of at-bats they will get. The New York Yankees are batting Aaron Judge in the two-hole, as are the Texas Rangers with Joey Gallo.

Though it’s unlikely, they’ll bump either to the leadoff spot. The Chicago Cubs experimented with Kyle Schwarber as their leadoff man for a brief period last season, but now he’s back to hitting in the middle of the order.

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It’s a long season, and we’re only on day two. The Baltimore Orioles can stick with this odd approach for a few days without suffering too badly. But it won’t work. Keep Chris Davis in the 4th through 6th range in the batting order where he’s been productive in the past. That is what’s best for him, and the team.