Chris Davis is a Keeper

[adam_jonzin']

I don't think there is a more likable character on this team than big Chris Davis. That image of him hoisting McLouth over his shoulders and running around the infield with a big fat smile on his face is just priceless and should be the album cover of the photo book remembering this incredible season.

[isestrex]

Just saw this stat about Davis...

All seven of Davis’ home runs over the past six games have come on offspeed pitches. He’s hit 19 home runs on offspeed pitches this season, trailing only Josh Hamilton’s 25.

http://espn.go.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_/id/52583/os-defy-history-with-another-one-run-win

That's huge.

It means he's not just going up there and mashing a few fastballs. If that were the case (which often is with these big time sluggers), then next season everyone would be pitching him offspeed and his production would plummet. On a smaller scale, this is what happened to Luke Scott somewhat. But that's not the case with Davis. He's hitting offspeed pitches (which could be change-ups or slower breaking pitches) and hitting them very very well. This means that as long as he doesn't fall into chase temptation (i.e. Hamilton's achilles heel), he could really turn into a massive power hitter.

The more I learn, the more I'm psyched about Davis's future.

[canonfaz]

It seems like he adjusts well to offspeed stuff. I think its just the fact that he has so much power and leverage in his swing that when he makes contact he always has a chance of destroying the baseball. As Buck says, he has a pretty good contact to damage ratio.

[gmelson26]

I feel like he's really turned a corner here. I posted this is another thread but I thought it was relevant here as well:

o my gut told me that Chris Davis has gotten better with his plate discipline as the year went on. Now I am biased, as I've been supporter saying we should give him a real shot as a core starter. So I decided to look up the data.

Pre All-Star break:

.271 / .315 / .474

Chris Davis is tied for 21st in the AL in HRs (14) pre All-Star break.

He struck out once every 3.51 plate appearance.

He walked every 18.73 plate appearance.

Post All-Star break:

.273 / .342 / .529

Chris Davis is tied for 5th in the AL in HRs (18) post All-Star break.

He struck out once every 3.14 plate appearance.

He walked every 12 plate appearance.

So his average has stayed about the same. His walks in the 2nd half have really improved, actually a 50% improvement. His power is also up. I didn't notice an increase in power, but my eye test told me he was having better at bats and walking more. I feel like this is confirmed.

[Slappy]

I feel like he's really turned a corner here. I posted this is another thread but I thought it was relevant here as well:

o my gut told me that Chris Davis has gotten better with his plate discipline as the year went on. Now I am biased, as I've been supporter saying we should give him a real shot as a core starter. So I decided to look up the data.

Pre All-Star break:

.271 / .315 / .474

Chris Davis is tied for 21st in the AL in HRs (14) pre All-Star break.

He struck out once every 3.51 plate appearance.

He walked every 18.73 plate appearance.

Post All-Star break:

.273 / .342 / .529

Chris Davis is tied for 5th in the AL in HRs (18) post All-Star break.

He struck out once every 3.14 plate appearance.

He walked every 12 plate appearance.

So his average has stayed about the same. His walks in the 2nd half have really improved, actually a 50% improvement. His power is also up. I didn't notice an increase in power, but my eye test told me he was having better at bats and walking more. I feel like this is confirmed.

With such a small sample, though, don't forget to account for intentional BB's.

1st half: 13 non-intentional BB's in 278 PA = 4.7% BB rate. K% was 27.3%.

2nd half: 18 non-intentional BB's in 280 PA = 6.4% BB rate. K% was 32.0%.

I'm not sure you can draw a lot of conclusions here. It's a small enough sample that the variations are fairly minor. The only thing I can see is what is pretty much a foregone conclusion on Davis: he walks at a below average rate, strikes out at a far above average rate, but when he makes contact he does a ton of damage.

[ADZ23]

I just hope it's all legit. As soon as he hit that monster last night my dad said "that guy is on roids". As much as I wanted to refute that, I just let it go and enjoyed the moment.

[Slappy]

I just hope it's all legit. As soon as he hit that monster last night my dad said "that guy is on roids". As much as I wanted to refute that, I just let it go and enjoyed the moment.

This is so unfortunate about baseball these days. Plenty of guys have homered in 6 consecutive games, names like Reggie Jackson, Ken Griffey Jr., Mattingly, our own Jim Thome, Maris, Gehrig, etc. But whenever someone does it nowadays, it must be because he's on 'roids.

I highly doubt it with Chris Davis. He seems straight as an arrow. Read his Twitter feed and you get a sense for his character.

[markdublya]

I think that ball would've hit our jumbotron on the fly! How cool would THAT have been?! What a blast.

[gmelson26]

With such a small sample, though, don't forget to account for intentional BB's.

1st half: 13 non-intentional BB's in 278 PA = 4.7% BB rate. K% was 27.3%.

2nd half: 18 non-intentional BB's in 280 PA = 6.4% BB rate. K% was 32.0%.

I'm not sure you can draw a lot of conclusions here. It's a small enough sample that the variations are fairly minor. The only thing I can see is what is pretty much a foregone conclusion on Davis: he walks at a below average rate, strikes out at a far above average rate, but when he makes contact he does a ton of damage.

I agree with you by and large. I left my final paragraph off from the previous post but what i said there was:

Yeah, it's only half a season, but I'm working with what I got here. He might keep it up like he currently is, but this could be a 3 months streak in a career of bad at bats.. I dunno. Regardless, I think we should both keep him and play him as much as possible and see if the 2nd half success here carries over. He's arguably the top 1-2 hitters on the team as it stands.

[El Gordo]

With such a small sample, though, don't forget to account for intentional BB's.

1st half: 13 non-intentional BB's in 278 PA = 4.7% BB rate. K% was 27.3%.

2nd half: 18 non-intentional BB's in 280 PA = 6.4% BB rate. K% was 32.0%.

I'm not sure you can draw a lot of conclusions here. It's a small enough sample that the variations are fairly minor. The only thing I can see is what is pretty much a foregone conclusion on Davis: he walks at a below average rate, strikes out at a far above average rate, but when he makes contact he does a ton of damage.

If you could somehow mix Reynolds and Davis you'd have Babe Ruth. Davis: average, contact, power, Reynolds: walks, P/PA, power.

[El Gordo]

This is so unfortunate about baseball these days. Plenty of guys have homered in 6 consecutive games, names like Reggie Jackson, Ken Griffey Jr., Mattingly, our own Jim Thome, Maris, Gehrig, etc. But whenever someone does it nowadays, it must be because he's on 'roids.

I highly doubt it with Chris Davis. He seems straight as an arrow. Read his Twitter feed and you get a sense for his character.

Well. Davis looks like Lou Ferrigno and Lou Ferrigno was on roids. That makes as much sense as, Davis hit a massive HR so he must be on roids. Roids don't make you hit the ball farther. That's not why players take them. They take them primarily to keep themselves on the field the whole season.

[Babypowder]

I think that ball would've hit our jumbotron on the fly! How cool would THAT have been?! What a blast.

No, it wouldn't have. Chris Davis home run last night traveled 445 feet. I saw Russell Branyan hit a ball that landed two rows in front of the Jumbotron at OPACY, that ball went 469 feet.

[El Gordo]

No, it wouldn't have. Chris Davis home run last night traveled 445 feet. I saw Russell Branyan hit a ball that landed two rows in front of the Jumbotron at OPACY, that ball went 469 feet.

Think about that blast of Davis' last night and then consider that Babe Ruth has 49 documented 500 + footers. And in an exhibition game in Wilkes Barre Penn., he hit one over 600".

[markdublya]

No, it wouldn't have. Chris Davis home run last night traveled 445 feet. I saw Russell Branyan hit a ball that landed two rows in front of the Jumbotron at OPACY, that ball went 469 feet.

You buy into those calculations?! I don't. No way. Remember when Reynolds hit the Club Level in Left-CENTER last year?? What did they call that one again? These calcs seem to be nonsense, they seem to give VERY little consideration when a ball strikes something (before landing naturally) as to whether it was already descending or still ACSENDING!

[Babypowder]

You buy into those calculations?! I don't. No way. Remember when Reynolds hit the Club Level in Left-CENTER last year?? What did they call that one again? These calcs seem to be nonsense, they seem to give VERY little consideration when a ball strikes something (before landing naturally) as to whether it was already descending or still ACSENDING!

I don't buy into TV broadcast distance estimations. I do buy into these. Hittracker had Reynolds shot into the club level at 463 feet. The Branyan shot I'm talking about can be found here, with video here.