Baltimore Orioles slugger Chris Davis announced his retirement on Thursday.
Chris Davis has announced his retirement. pic.twitter.com/3QKvErwTzn
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) August 12, 2021
The news took a good number of fans by surprise, but all things considered, it’s probably the right decision for the 35-year-old.
Due to injuries, he played in just 16 games in 2020, and he hadn’t appeared in a game this season before calling it quits.
Davis will be remembered for two things: several insane power-hitting seasons and one historically bad contract.
The former fifth-round pick had some great years in the early 2010s.
But after the Orioles inked him to a massive deal prior to the 2016 season, the wheels completely fell off the wagon.
He batted .196 with a .670 OPS and a gruesome -5.8 WAR over five seasons after signing the contract.
The deal was for seven years and $161 million, and it runs through 2022.
Translation: The Orioles are still on the hook for the rest of that money.
Needless to say, Baltimore likely wants that one back.
But the point of this piece isn’t to slander Davis for his worst years.
Rather, we are going to rank his three best accomplishments with the Orioles.
There are plenty to choose from.
Let’s get started.
3. Davis Hits 47 Home Runs In 2015
As mentioned, Davis had some insane campaigns.
One of them came in 2015, which was arguably his last good season.
That year, he hammered a league-best 47 balls out of the yard.
He finished with a slash line of .262/.361/.562, giving him an OPS of .923 and an OPS+ of 147.
He also racked up a WAR of 4.9.
By almost every measure, it was the second-best season of Davis’ career.
We’ll get to his best season in just a minute.
2. Davis Leads Orioles To Playoffs In 2012 For First Time Since 1997
In his first full season with the team, Davis led the Orioles to a playoff bid in 2012.
Baltimore beat the Texas Rangers in the American League Wild Card Game before ultimately falling to the New York Yankees in the ALDS.
Although the run came to an end quicker than fans hoped, it was refreshing to see the Orioles playing meaningful baseball in October.
Davis, who was 26 that year, slashed .270/.326./.501 with 33 home runs during the team’s impressive 93-win regular season.
At that point in time, it was the best offensive year of his career.
The Orioles went on to make the playoffs two more times during Davis’ tenure with the team (in 2014 and 2016).
1. Davis Hits 53 Home Runs In 2013
Davis had one of the best power-hitting seasons of all-time in 2013.
Chris Davis put on a show in 2013. pic.twitter.com/Rv6RZnYfff
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) August 12, 2021
He left the yard 53 times, and on two separate occasions, he homered in four consecutive games.
That’s a pretty ridiculous accomplishment.
In addition to the home runs, Davis racked up 42 doubles.
He finished the year with an unbelievable .634 slugging percentage.
His 7.1 WAR was enough for him to garner attention in the MVP race, and he ultimately finished third in the voting.
Davis led the league in several categories that year: home runs (obviously), runs batted in (138), and total bases (370).
It was one of the greatest seasons in Orioles history, and MLB fans won’t soon forget it.
NEXT: Orioles Slugger Chris Davis Mercifully Announces Retirement