November 6, 2008

Position: Corner Infield
Hits/Throws: Left/Right
Height/Weight: 6'4''/235
Birthday: 3/17/1986 (Age 22)
Roster Status: On 40-man Roster; 3 Options Remaining

Background: Chris Davis came to the Rangers as a 5th round draft pick in the 2006 draft out of Navarro College in Texas. Davis was a highly-touted two-way player from Longview High School, and he was drafted in the 50th round in 2004 by the Yankees before ever entering college. At that point, Davis had committed to the University of Texas, a fact that scared away most teams. Davis decided not to sign with the Yankees, and instead ended up transferring out of Texas before ever playing a game. He ended up getting drafted again from Navarro the next year by the Angels in the 35th round, but again chose not to sign. In 2006, Davis returned to Navarro and pounded the ball to a tune of .370 with 16 home runs and 70 RBI. His stock soared, and the Rangers drafted him in the 5th round, signing him away from a further commitment to Arkansas for $172,500. He was signed by Area Scout Randy Taylor, who has signed many notable Ranger farmhands, including this year's crop of Joey Butler, Mike Hollander, and Adam Cobb. Davis entered the Ranger organization with high expectations.

Tools: Davis has a good set of tools from a hitting standpoint. Some scouts had questioned his ability to hit for average, as his uppercut swing was viewed as a general weakness. However, as time has gone along, most scouts have come around to Davis' side, as he makes hard contact whenever he gets his bat on the ball. His averages have been consistently high, and there's no reason to think his bat doesn't rate somewhere around 60-70 for that tool. As for his power, Davis easily gets an 80. He has light-tower power to all fields, as evidenced by his strong minor league home run totals and his Major League debut. Look for him to continue to have this power unless it's sapped by injury. His speed is well below-average, and he set a career-high with 8 steals over his 3 stops in 2008. He'll always rate low for his speed in general. His glove is essentially limited by his range. There's a good number of people that think Davis is essentially capable of being a strong first baseman, but not even average anywhere else. His fielding at third is stiff, and his range in the outfield is also not adequate. His arm is very good, as he was a highly-touted pitcher, and it could even profile for a few years in right field. However, his best position is obviously first base, and that is the Rangers' long-term plan at this point. As for his eye, Davis is known to swing outside of the zone. He's always going to have high strikeout totals, and his eye is a tick below-average. However, for most players, the batting eye is something that improves over time, so look for Davis to become more selective year by year. Overall, Davis' tools rate very well, and he has all the tools to be a premier Major League first baseman.

Professional Experience: Davis began his pro career at Spokane in 2006 after signing quickly following the draft. He quickly showed off his plus power, hitting 15 homers and 18 doubles in just 253 at-bats in the Northwest League. At age 20, he was even about a year younger than most players in the league. However, he adjusted quickly and excelled while splitting time between the outfield and first base. Entering 2007, Davis was expected to spend a full season at Bakersfield in the Cal League. Once again, he shattered expectations and hit his way out of the league before the end of July. In 386 high-A at-bats, his final line was .298/.340/.573, and he hit 24 home runs while striking out 123 times. The strikeout totals were indeed scary, but he advanced to Frisco with raised expectations. Over the final month of the 2007 season, Davis tore up the Texas League, much to the surprise of most experts. Double-A is usually the level that really exposes holes in swings, of which many thought Davis had. However, he finished with a .294/.371/.688 line in 109 at-bats, improving his pitch selection in the process. His batting eye was advancing faster than many had even dreamed of. He finished the entire 2007 season with a .297/.347/.598 line, a great first full pro season. Davis entered 2008 as one of the most highly-touted Ranger prospects.

2008 Season: Davis' 2008 season was even more encouraging than his 2007 campaign. He started the season back at AA Frisco, though he only lasted 186 at-bats there. As opposed to 2007, he moved to what will likely become his permanent home on the diamond, first base. With a less straining defensive position, he flourished with the bat even more, hitting .333/.376/.618 for Frisco. His promotion to Oklahoma was also to be short-lived. In 111 at-bats, he hit .333/.402/.685, adjusting well to an even higher number of breaking balls. Much to the delight of the fan base, Davis was promoted to Arlington at the end of June. In just two years, he had gone from a 5th round draft pick to the Rangers' starting first baseman. He started 77 of the team's 83 remaining games, switching back to third base out of necessity a little over half-way through. In 295 big league at-bats, he finished with a .285/.331/.549 line, hitting 17 home runs for a total of 40 between all levels. Davis' 2008 ranks as probably the best development story for the Rangers for the year.

Future Outlook: At this point, there's no way that Davis sees the minors again anytime soon. He established himself as a Major League slugger in his half-year in 2008, and he'll be an integral part of the Rangers' lineup. However, the big question is the position he'll be playing. A lot of that question depends on what uniform Hank Blalock is wearing come April. If Blalock stays around and is unable to play third base, I'd expect Davis to see more time there. However, if Blalock is traded or strengthens his arm enough to play third, Davis will shift back across to first base. There's no doubt Davis should be playing first base, but if it's necessary, he can fill in at third. Look for Davis to hold down his spot until Justin Smoak arrives, when we'll see one of them shift to DH.

Written by Andy Seiler

Video from bosoxbeliever03 on YouTube