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MLB 2017: One prediction for each team

By Joshua Sadlock

CLEVELAND, OH - NOVEMBER 02: Kris Bryant
CLEVELAND, OH - NOVEMBER 02: Kris Bryant /
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Sep 27, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis (19) reacts after being ejected during the seventh inning in a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays won 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 27, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis (19) reacts after being ejected during the seventh inning in a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays won 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports /

Baltimore Orioles: Chris Davis comes back strong

In year one of his seven-year, $161-million contract, Chris Davis did a whole lot of walking back to the dugout without making contact. He struck out 219 times, just four away from the league record. The record would have easily been his had a flu bug not kept him out of a few games in the second half.

Over the past four years, Davis has been up and down as much as a thinly-traded biotech stock. Since 2013, he has led the league in home runs twice and in strikeouts twice. He has a season with an OPS of 1.004 and a season with an OPS of .704. In the second half of 2015, Davis batted .293/.409/.669 with 28 home runs in 74 games. After the All-Star break last season, he batted .200/.313/.412 with 16 home runs and 97 strikeouts in 71 games.

The biggest problem for Davis in 2016 was his pitch selection at the plate. In far too many of his at-bats, the big first baseman watched fastballs early in the count, battled breaking balls with two strikes and then struck out looking on a fat fastball right down the middle. All told, Davis struck out looking 79 times and swung at a career-low 42.8 percent of all pitches.

Davis has to go back to the drawing board this winter and get back to what made him successful in 2013 and 2015 when he was aggressive early in the count. Despite the holes in his swing, he’s one of the best in the league at jumping on mistakes early in the count. It’s when he gets too fine at the plate and starts looking for walks that Davis puts himself in hitting counts that he just can’t work out of.

If Chris Davis comes back in 2017 ready to be aggressive at the plate, another solid year should follow. The last three years of the long-term contract may turn out to be an unmitigated disaster, but if the Orioles can get the most out of Davis over the next two years, it won’t be quite as painful for the front office.

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