Orioles' Chris Davis Nearing Record Hitless Stretch
After going 0 for 4 with two strikeouts during the Orioles' loss to the Yankees on Sunday, Baltimore first baseman Chris Davis is on the brink of an MLB record no one wants.
Davis is encroaching on the longest hitless stretch in baseball history, failing to record a knock in 44 consecutive at-bats dating back to last season. He's started the 2019 campaign 0-for-23 with 13 strikeouts.
The last hit Davis recorded was a second-inning double off of the White Sox' James Shields on Sept. 14.
According to Elias Sports Bureau, Davis is two hitless at-bats shy of tying the record for the most consecutive at-bats by a position player without a hit. The record was set by Dodgers infielder Eugenio Velez, who went hitless in his 46 at-bats across 2010 and 2011.
Davis's current drought is among the five worst hitless streaks by position players in league history:
1. Eugenio Velez, 2010-11: 0 for 46
2. Bill Bergen, 1909: 0 for 45
3. Dave Campbell, 1973: 0 for 45
4. Craig Counsell, 2011: 0 for 45
5. Chris Davis, 2018-19: 0 for 44
After signing a seven-year, $161 million contract in 2016, Davis slashed a cumulative of .202/.298/.397 through the first three years of his deal. Last year, Davis batted .168, which marked the worst average in MLB history for a qualified player. SI's Stephanie Apstein documented Davis's struggles on and off the field during his historically poor campaign.
Following Davis's showing on Sunday, he said he understood fans frustration, which was vocalized by boos after he struck out.
"Noboby's more frustrated than I am," Davis said, per the Associated Press. "Esepcially a day like today, the kind of game that we were having. It was a frustrating day for me personally and the team collectively. But you've got to move on."
