Baltimore Orioles: Short season could be answer for Chris Davis

A shortened 2020 season could be exactly what Chris Davis needs to get back on track.

The last few years have not been kind to Chris Davis. Once one of the more fearsome sluggers in the game, the Baltimore Orioles‘ first baseman/designated hitter has been the poster child for offensive futility. Over the past two seasons, Davis produced a .172/.256/.308 batting line, hitting 28 homers and striking out 331 times in 874 plate appearances. During that time, he set a record for futility, with 54 at bats without a base hit.

Once Davis got that first hit and ended his streak, he was at least somewhat useful at the plate. From that point, he produced a .201/.293/.365 batting line; his .658 OPS worth an OPS+ of 76. That was still bad, but it was, at least, a bit better than what Davis had been.

But there was hope that 2020 would be different. Davis had come into spring training in, as the cliche goes, the best shape of his life. That led to an impressive spring, as Davis produced a .467/.615/1.067 batting line, belting three homers and drawing nine walks in 26 plate appearances.

Then came the layoff. With nearly four months between workouts, one had to wonder how Davis would look when he returned. That hot start from late February and into March could easily have become a thing of the past.

Instead, Davis returned in the same mindset and with the same form. He is showing a readiness at the plate that had not been there in years, and is still hitting the ball hard in the Orioles intrasquad games. The cautious optimism that Davis can shake out of his multi-year slump remains.

In a 60 game season, anything can happen. Should Davis carry his impressive showing in spring training, and his performance in the Orioles’ summer camp to the regular season, he could surprise. Even a return to a league average hitter would be a major upgrade over the Davis that the Orioles have seen in the past two years.

Chris Davis has looked like a different hitter so far. When the games start to count, hopefully, he will carry that positive momentum forward.