On April 27th, we posted an article breaking down Baltimore Oriole Chris Davis, and how he has become the player that he currently is over the last six years. By the way, if you're interested in that analysis, click here for the post.
We now shift our focus to the other "Chris Davis" in MLB, except his name is Khris Davis.
Arriving from Milwaukee via trade, Oakland's slugging phenom has been a vital rotational piece in their overall offensive production. Nicknamed "Khrush," Davis has amassed 156 home runs in his Oakland tenure. He is also known for batting 0.247 for four consecutive seasons from 2015 to 2018. While injuries hampered his ability to cross the 40-home run threshold in 2019, he led the league in this category in 2018 (48). His production garnered him a contract extension with the A's through the 2021 season.
Cue the reactionary baseball fan that asks the question "But wait, his career average is 0.244 and he batted 0.220 last season! Why is he getting a contract extension!? This is absurd!" Well relax, we'll get to it, as we go By The Numbers for the rationale.
In the Statcast era (est. 2015), we now have a variety of data to breakdown a player. Whether it be from a pure evaluation of production or for player development, it has been incredibly useful for every level of baseball. It has helped players like Khris Davis, who do not hit for average, justify a roster spot on a Major League roster.
The Launch Angle
And no, we are not talking about the site. Launch angles, in the baseball context, refer to the vertical angles at which the ball leaves the bat after contact. The ideal angle for any player to maximize home run probability is about 18 degrees. In accordance with the chart below, Davis has seen a steady increase in this category every single season, except for 2019 (injury):
Now remember, Davis led the league with 48 home runs in 2018. It is no surprise that his average launch angle that season was 18.1. His ability to create Batted Ball Events (BBE) and fly balls is unparalleled. Even in a down year in 2019, his launch angle of 13.2 was still better than his 2015 and 2016 campaigns. In a game that now emphasizes the long ball, Davis has the prototypical swing for this era.
Exit Velocity
When Davis draws contact, the velocity with which they travel is extraordinary. Between 2015 and 2018, he has seen steady growth in this area, as shown in Figure Two:
Again, he was hurt in 2019, but an exit velocity of 90.1 mph is still highly impressive, even with injuries. In his most productive season in 2018, the average exit velocity on those pitches was an impressive 92.5 mph. To analyze his generated exit velocity further, Davis production resides primarily in the middle-vertical portion of the zone, as he ranged from 93.9 to 97.1 mph in 2019. This correlates to his home run production, as 10 of them were hit from this area of the strike zone in 2019.
There is a reason why Khris Davis was highly coveted by the Oakland Athletics. If you go By The Numbers, he is built for this era of baseball. Whether it be his swing or his statistical production, when healthy, Davis is one of the premier offensive players in the game.
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