Chris Davis badly needs a hit.
The Baltimore Orioles designated hitter is enduring one of the most miserable streaks any batter has ever experienced in Major League Baseball. Starting last Sept. 14 and stretching into this season, Davis has failed to register a base hit in his last 35 at-bats. His futility streak is the second-longest in MLB history, trailing only Eugenio Velez’s record of 46 at-bats without a hit.
Davis struck out three times Thursday in the Orioles’ loss to the New York Yankees at Camden Yards. His latest disappointing day worsened his statistics to 0-for-17 with 11 strikeouts in seven games this season. He also exhausted the patience of Orioles fans, who booed him during the team’s home opener.
Davis addressed the fans’ boos after the game.
“It’s not something I was really expecting,” Davis told USA TODAY’s Andrew Joseph. “It was tough. At the same time, I heard it a lot last year, and rightfully so. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: I understand the frustration. Nobody’s more frustrated than I am. Especially a day like today.”
Davis led MLB with 47 home runs in 2015 and signed a seven-year, $161 million contract following that season. However, his performance levels have plummeted since then, with last year’s batting average of .186 representing a career low and his 37 percent strikeout rate the worst in the big leagues.
Those hoping Davis would bounce back in 2019 have been left wanting, and the ranks of his fans are dwindling. However, he has plenty of time remaining in the campaign to break out of his current slump. But that won’t happen until he reaches base safely via his own swing.
