Fansided

MLB playoffs 2016: 3 reasons the Orioles make it

By Joshua Sadlock

Aug 26, 2016; Bronx, NY, USA; Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado (13) hits a solo home run against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 26, 2016; Bronx, NY, USA; Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado (13) hits a solo home run against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
Sep 6, 2016; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis (19) waits on deck at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 6, 2016; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis (19) waits on deck at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Chris Davis gets to play in Toronto and New York again

There may not be a more mercurial hitter in the league than Chris Davis. It is almost impossible to tell when he is about to get hot, and those fleeting hot stretches can fade as quickly as they appeared. In the first year of his massive, seven-year contract, Davis has batted only .220/.332/.474 with 38 homers and 204 strikeouts. Over 52 percent of his at-bats have ended in one of the three “true outcomes.”

Davis has been something of a disappointment this year for the Orioles, but he has always had his favorite places to hit, and the Orioles wrap up their season with games in Toronto and New York. Davis has always hit well in the Rogers Centre, and the short porch at Yankee Stadium is tailored to his looping, uppercut swing. The first baseman has hit six of his home runs in Toronto and New York while slugging .763.

A hot Chris Davis is capable of carrying an offense for an entire week, and the final week of this season will be make-or-break time for the Orioles unless they go on a tear before the start of their last road trip of the year. Wild swings in productivity have sunk the Orioles in the second half, but a swing back to the positive side by their highest-paid slugger could equal a playoff berth.

Home/MLB