Chris Davis

Davis only played in 16 games for the Orioles in 2020, and hit a meager .115/.164/.173 with no home runs and only 1 RBI before ending his season early with a knee injury.

At the end of the 2018 season, starting September 14, Davis began a hitless streak that lasted through his last 21 at bats of the season and continued into 2019. On April 8, 2019, Davis's streak set a new Major League record for the most consecutive at bats by a position player without a hit, surpassing Eugenio Vélez who went 0-for-46 in 2010 and 2011, and he ended that game against the Athletics still hitless, at 0-for-49. Davis ended his streak on April 13, after 54 consecutive at bats without a hit, with a two-run single against the Red Sox, and ended the day going 3-for-5 with two doubles, in addition to the single. On August 7th, during a loss to the Yankees, Davis had to be physically restrained by players and coaches after attempting to go after manager Brandon Hyde. Heading towards the end of the season, Davis saw his playing time diminish, ending the season hitting .179 in 105 games.

Davis started the 2018 season with a .150 batting average and 86 strikeouts in his first 57 games. On June 15, the Orioles announced that Davis would be benched and that they would call up Corban Joseph. Davis ended his season hitting .168/.243/.296 with 16 home runs with 192 strikeouts (4th in the American League) in 128 games, and struck out in a major-league-leading 36.8% of his at bats. His $23 million salary was the 10th-highest in the league. His .168 batting average, .243 on base percentage, and .296 slugging percentage were each the lowest of all qualified major league batters, and the .168 batting average was the lowest of all-time for qualified MLB hitters. He was 4th of all active MLB players in career strikeouts, with 1,696.

For the 2017 season, he batted .215/.309/.423 overall. He had 195 strikeouts (3rd in the American League), striking out a major-league-leading 37.2% of the time, and batted .208/.293/.326 against left-handers.

On January 21, 2016, Davis signed a 7-year, $161 million contract to stay with the Orioles, the richest contract in Orioles history. Coincidentally, 161 was the number of home runs Davis hit with the Orioles before signing the contract.

From 2015 through 2018, Davis led all major league players in strikeouts-per-at-bat. In 2018, he set the MLB record for the lowest batting average ever for a qualified player when he batted .168. In 2019, he set the MLB record for the most consecutive at bats by a position player without a hit, going 0-for-54.

Davis missed 12 games from April 26, 2014, to May 11, 2014, with a left oblique strain. He hit three home runs and had five RBI on May 20 in a 9–2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. On June 17, facing Érik Bédard with the bases loaded, Davis hit a ball to left field that hit off the left field foul pole at Tropicana Field. Initially ruled a double, the umpires changed it to a grand slam after a review. The Orioles went on to defeat the Rays 7–5. After a 4-for-36 slump, Davis was benched on June 23, but he had a pinch-hit walk off three-run home run against Ronald Belisario, giving the Orioles a 6–4 victory over the Chicago White Sox. It was the Orioles' first game-ending pinch hit home run since Larry Sheets had one on August 24, 1988. Davis struggled in the first half of 2014, hitting 15 home runs but batting around .200. The slump continued, as he batted .202 in July and saw himself dropped to seventh in the batting order in August. Showalter said, "It's hard to follow that pace. He spoiled us at a very high level. He wants to get back to it." Despite his slump, the Orioles through August 23 had built a seven-game lead in the AL East.

By virtue of his hot start with the Rangers, and his considerable power as a batter, Davis was dubbed "Crush Davis" by local media and fans (a play on "Crash Davis" from the movie Bull Durham). From July 22 through July 26, he had four straight multi-hit games. Davis played well enough that, upon Hank Blalock's return from the disabled list (DL) on August 22, he was moved to third base so he could remain in the lineup. He had four hits on September 26 in a 12–1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Davis attended Navarro Junior College and was selected by the Rangers in the fifth round of the 2006 MLB draft. He ascended quickly through the Rangers' minor league system, getting named their Minor League Player of the Year in 2007. He was called up in the middle of 2008 and had a strong start to his major league career. He was the Rangers' starting first baseman for 92 games in 2009 and hit 21 home runs, but a low batting average and his tendency to strike out left the Rangers dissatisfied with him. Because of this, the Rangers sent Davis back and forth between the minors and the majors over the next two years and left him off their playoff roster in 2010. On July 30, 2011, they traded him to the Orioles.

On July 5, Davis was sent back down to make room for Josh Hamilton who was coming off the disabled list. Although he had 15 home runs in 258 at bats, he was leading the American League with 114 strikeouts and had, on June 21, become the quickest player in Major League history to reach 100 strikeouts, requiring only 219 at bats. His batting average was at .202. While talking about the Rangers' handling of another player, Julio Borbon, in 2010, Washington mentioned the decision to send Davis down in 2009: "We gave Chris a good amount of time last year. With young players, they can look bad for 100 at bats and then turn it around the next 100 and look exactly like you want them to." With the RedHawks, Davis played 44 games, batting .327 with six home runs, 12 doubles, and 30 RBI.

Davis slumped a bit in 2009 spring training but still began 2009 as the Rangers' first baseman. Rangers manager Ron Washington said, "I'm not worried about Chris. Chris works hard. He had a little spell where he was trying to get himself together. He's going to have bad times, but what he did tonight is what he's capable of and he'll do that enough to make him love you." On May 14, with the Rangers trailing 2–1 in the ninth inning against the Seattle Mariners, he homered against Brandon Morrow to give the Rangers a 3–2 victory. After a 1-for-29 slump, Davis hit two home runs on May 26 in a 7–3 victory over the New York Yankees. He had four hits on June 25, the fourth a 12th-inning two-run home run against Esmerling Vásquez in a 9–8 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Entering 2008, Baseball America ranked Davis the number two prospect in the Rangers' organization, behind Elvis Andrus. Davis began the season playing first base for Frisco. He batted .333 with 62 hits, 13 home runs, and 42 RBI in 46 games before earning a promotion to the Triple-A Oklahoma RedHawks of the Pacific Coast League. In 31 games with Oklahoma, he hit .333 with 37 hits, 10 home runs, and 31 RBI. He was named to the All-Star Futures Game but was unable to play in it because he was promoted to the major leagues by the Texas Rangers. Later, during his breakout 2013 season, Davis referred to his time with Round Rock in 2008: "I know nobody really cares about Triple-A, but I put up these numbers up in Triple-A. That was kind of the question, 'Was he going to be able to do it at the big league level?' The thing about it was, I just couldn't do it consistently. I couldn't put the bat on the ball. I was striking out an astronomical amount, and this year it's just been consistency day in and day out."

In 2007, Davis began the season with the Bakersfield Blaze of the Single-A advanced California League. He tied a California League record by posting a 35-game hitting streak and was selected to the Single-A advanced All-Star Game. On July 30, he was promoted to the Frisco RoughRiders of the Double-A Texas League, where he spent the rest of the season. Despite his call-up, he tied for fourth in the California League with 24 home runs and ranked fourth in the league with a .573 slugging percentage, leading Bakersfield in home runs, RBI, and doubles. With Frisco, he had 11 home runs and 25 RBI in the month of August and was named the Rangers' Minor League Player of the Month. In 129 games combined, used exclusively as a third baseman, Davis batted .297 with 36 home runs and 118 RBI in 2007. After the season, he was named the Rangers' Tom Grieve Minor League Player of the Year.

Davis began his minor league career in 2006 with the Spokane Indians of the Single-A short season Northwest League, splitting time between the outfield and first base. In 69 games, he batted .277 with 70 hits, 18 doubles, 15 home runs, 42 runs batted in (RBI), and 65 strikeouts (eighth). Early in his minor league career, Davis struggled with his weight. At one point, he weighed 265 pounds, but he later learned to eat healthier and lost weight.

Davis was born in Longview, Texas. He has an older sister, Jennifer. While he was in high school, his parents divorced. Davis attended Longview High School, playing shortstop on the school's varsity baseball team and pitching as well before graduating in 2004. He was originally chosen by the New York Yankees as the third-to-last pick of the 2004 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft (1,496th overall in the 50th round). However, he did not sign and opted to attend Navarro Junior College in Texas instead, beginning in 2005. At Navarro, he was used as a third baseman and first baseman. He was once again drafted, by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, in the 2005 MLB draft, however he did not sign. He was named a preseason JUCO All-American by Baseball America in 2006, earning Region XIV East Zone Most Valuable Player honors. That year with Navarro, he hit 17 home runs, one of which hit a retail building 100 feet away from the 380 sign on the outfield fence. Davis was then drafted again, this time by the Texas Rangers in the fifth round of the 2006 MLB draft.

The Orioles reached the playoffs for the first time since 1997, claiming one of the AL Wild Card spots and defeating the Rangers in the 2012 AL Wild Card Game. In Game 2 of the 2012 AL Division Series (ALDS) against the Yankees, Davis had a two-run single against Andy Pettitte in the Orioles' 3–2 victory. Those were his only RBI of the series; he had four hits in 20 at bats as the Yankees defeated the Orioles in five games.

During the second game of the season, Davis hit his 200th career home run in an Orioles uniform, making him the eighth Oriole in franchise history to do so. On May 16, in a game against the Tigers, Davis went 3 for 5 with three runs scored, four RBIs, two walks, a double and two home runs, including the game-winning home run in the 13th inning of the 13–11 victory. Davis became just the 2nd player in MLB history to hit two home runs in the 12th inning or later of a game, joining Matt Adams of the Cardinals. Davis also became the first Orioles player with multiple extra-inning home runs during a single game since Mike Young on May 28, 1987. His four RBIs also moved him past former teammate Brian Roberts for 21st all-time in franchise history. On May 18, Davis hit his 250th career home run (208th as an Oriole). He became the 221st player in MLB history to reach 250 career home runs. He also collected his 738th career hit as an Oriole, moving him into 50th all-time in franchise history. On May 24, he tied Brady Anderson for 7th in franchise history with his 209th career home run as an Oriole.

Christopher Lyn Davis (born March 17, 1986), nicknamed "Crush Davis", is an American professional baseball first baseman for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB). Davis played in MLB for the Texas Rangers from 2008 until being traded to the Baltimore Orioles in 2011. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed. While primarily a first baseman throughout his career, Davis has also been a designated hitter, third baseman, and outfielder.

He struck out a major-league-leading 31.0% of the time, batted .262/.361/.562. He led the league in strikeouts (with 208) and at bats per home run (12.2), was 2nd in the AL in RBIs (117), was 4th in the AL in slugging percentage (.562), walks (84), and total bases (322), and 7th in the AL in runs (100).

Davis's 50th home run of the season, which he hit on September 13, tied him with Brady Anderson for the Orioles record of most home runs in a single season. He also became only the third player in MLB history, after Babe Ruth (New York Yankees, 1921) and Albert Belle (Cleveland Indians, 1995), to hit 50 home runs and 40 doubles in a single season. He hit his 51st home run on September 17, setting a new Orioles single season record. This was also his 92nd extra-base hit of the season, again tying Anderson for a franchise record. He later surpassed that by hitting his first triple of the season against Alex Cobb on September 21 in a 5–1 loss to Tampa Bay. Davis broke another Orioles record on September 27 with his 28th home run of the season hit at his home park of Camden Yards, surpassing Frank Robinson's record of 27 home runs hit at Memorial Stadium in 1966.

Davis received everyday playing time in 2012, starting at first base, at designated hitter, and in the outfield throughout the season. On May 6, in a 17-inning, 9–6 victory over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, Davis went hitless in eight at bats, but ended up being the winning pitcher. His feat was the first of its kind since Rube Waddell achieved it on July 4, 1905. Davis was the designated hitter until he was pressed into service as a relief pitcher in the 16th inning after Showalter had depleted the Orioles' bullpen. He struck out two batters and did not allow a run in his two innings of mound work. He was the first position player in the American League (AL) to be the winning pitcher in a game since Rocky Colavito on August 25, 1968, and the first to pitch for the Orioles since Manny Alexander on April 19, 1996. He and losing pitcher Darnell McDonald were the first position players on opposing teams in the same contest to each work in relief since Ty Cobb and George Sisler on October 4, 1925, and the first where both earned pitching decisions since Sam Mertes and Jesse Burkett on September 28, 1902. Davis described his outing: