Baltimore Orioles: How Has Chris Davis Done Against Future HOF Pitchers

In a recent post on MLB, the writers looked at Hall of Fame hitters and pitchers and their non-HOF nemeses. But, there weren’t any Baltimore Orioles in the discussion.

So, in the spirit of the MLB’s post, I decided to take a look at the lone Baltimore Orioles veteran and how he has fared over the years against current and retired pitchers who are likely to end up in the Hall of Fame and one who already is.

Over the years, Chris Davis‘s performance at the plate has dwindled. But, through his 12 years in the league, he has had some decent seasons. And, in those seasons, he’s faced a few pitchers who will have had enough seasons and successes that they could end up in the Hall of Fame. He’s also faced some pitchers who have already been on a HOF ballot or two.

Unfortunately, it is safe to say that Davis will not be joining them.

The other veteran who has had enough time in the league to face outstanding pitchers is Jose Iglesias. We haven’t had a chance to see him in an O’s uniform, so he’s an MLB vet, but he hasn’t had time to build a relationship with O’s fans.

Let’s look at Davis and his battles with Max Scherzer, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, and Justin Verlander.

Versus Scherzer

Davis has had success against Scherzer in his time with the Nationals and with the Tigers. Overall, Davis has hit .313/.353/.438 against the three-time Cy Young winner. While the power numbers haven’t been there for Davis, he has hit a double and home run off of Scherzer. It probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise, but Davis has 10 Ks in 32 at-bats against the future Hall of Famer.

Most of Davis’s success came off of Scherzer when he was with the Tigers. Since Scherzer joined the Nats, he and Davis have faced each other in six games. Davis has earned a hit in four of the six. In 2012 and 2013, Davis was a sure thing against Scherzer with an OPS in 2012 of 1.333 in 2012 and 1.500 in 2013.

Scherzer probably doesn’t worry too much about Davis at this point the men’s careers. But, at one point, Davis was a nuisance for the Nats ace.

Versus Pettitte

Five-time World Series winner Andy Pettitte has a rough road to the Hall of Fame. But, he’s shown up on ballots. The two faced each other in Davis’s prime. The two have a total of 21 plate appearances against each other. Davis saw his best moments against Pettitte in the 2012 playoffs. His slash against the Yankees pitcher is .300/.286/.500.

In the 2012, playoffs, Davis went 2-4 with a pair of RBI. Davis hit a single to right field that earned two runs in Game Two of the ALDS at Camden Yards. The Orioles won that game 3-2. Even though the Yankees ended up winning the series, Pettitte most likely has some strong feelings about Davis and the 2012 ALDS.

Versus Rivera

Versus Verlander

Davis has not had much success against one of the most decorated pitchers in modern history. In their 42 plate appearances, Davis has hit .189/.286/.189. While many lesser hitters have recorded home runs off of Verlander, Davis hasn’t hit one. In fact, Verlander has his number and has recorded 22 strikeouts against him. Davis has two RBI against him, but that’s not much in that many meetings.

The two will most likely meet again, but it is doubtful that Verlander is worried too much about Davis.

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Davis has had success against many pitchers, but of regular starters, his favorite pitcher has to be Aaron Sanchez. In their 40 plate appearances, Davis has hit .333/.550/.963. In their six seasons facing each other, Davis has gone yard against him in every season except 2018 (we all know how 2018 ended for Davis). It is highly unlikely that Sanchez will even make a HOF ballot, and he isn’t even on a team in 2020. Sorry, Crush.

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