1B Chris Davis, 22 (L), Oklahoma RedHawks (Texas Rangers, AAA)

I wrote this on June 5th but forgot to post it. Now that Davis has been called up I feel bad, but only a little. He’s been on most people’s radar since crushing A and AA last year.

Chris Davis is a big HR hitting 1B you need to know about if you are serious about winning your fantasy baseball league.  That’s a big statement so let me back it up pretty quickly.  Mark Teixeira was a highly touted prospect being the No. 5 pick in the 2001 draft and quickly produced like it…only spending one year in the minors.  I can see Davis getting close to the same production in his prime as Big-Tex did 40 HR and 40 2B.

In Mark Teixeira’s first and only year in the minors he was 22 years old and averaged a HR every 16.89 AB.  Chris Davis in his first full year in the minors (he was 21 in ’07) averaged a HR every 13.75 AB.  That is not a bad return for the Rangers on their 2006 5th round pick. 

Davis probably wasn’t a first round pick because he does have a tendency to strike out too much; 150 K’s in 495 AB’s in 2007.  Luckily for us that most fantasy leagues do not count strike outs.  It may mean his average will suffer as he advances and reaches the majors, however considering it hasn’t so far I wouldn’t bet against him.

Davis proved last year was no fluke, and although he still swings at too many pitches had raised his average by 22 points prior to his call up last week. Prior to that, he’d already hit 13 HR and 14 2B in 186 AB in Double-A.  He was promoted to Triple-A where his production got him promoted in Texas. You have to love a power swinging young player when it’s hot and the ball tends to jump off the bat in that Texas heat.

2007 A+ and AA (21)
.297 BA 495 AB 90 R 147 H 35 2B 3 3B 36 HR 118 RBI 35 BB 150 SO 3 SB 3 CS .347 OBP.598 SLG .945 OPS

2008 AA and AAA (22)
.319 BA 216 AB 50 R 69 H 14 2B 0 3B 15 HR 52 RBI 15 BB 56 SO 5 SB 1 CS .366 OBP.593 SLG .959 OPS