Here’s why the veteran, DH-only Khris Davis fits on rebuilding Texas Rangers’ roster
Chris Woodward declared only 10 days ago that it was go time for those Texas Rangers players who had yet to fully engage the gas pedal this spring.
The message from the manager was received by many, in particular Leody Taveras and Nate Lowe.
Khris Davis, meanwhile, found himself in a tough spot.
He has been a slow starter throughout his career, which isn’t unusual. However, for the first time in a long time he was not assured of a spot on the Opening Day roster despite the heft of his $16.75 million contract.
Davis hadn’t done enough in his final two seasons to have roster security.
So, he stayed in the slow lane, blinker on, because he knew that’s the best way for him to ready for a season. He would switch lanes eventually.
Less than two weeks before the season opener and perhaps even less than that until the Rangers make their final roster decisions, Davis has shifted lanes.
He homered twice Thursday night as the Rangers beat the Cincinnati Reds, 12-9, and also went deep Wednesday in a B game on the back fields. Furthermore, he is making the right decisions at the plate that will lead to more production and could make him a capable cleanup hitter behind Joey Gallo.
Davis hasn’t locked up a roster spot, but he’s moving in the right direction.
“I don’t think we can guarantee anybody,” Woodward said. “Everybody’s got to fight for his spot. He knew that. He knew he needed to show some results, and not necessary hit some homers but drive the ball.
“Would we love to have him? Of course, if he’s anywhere where Khris Davis used to be. This guy was one of the best right-handed hitters in the middle of a lineup you could have.”
Davis produced three consecutive 40-homer seasons from 2016-18, with a career-high 48 in 2018. He struck out at least 166 times in those three seasons, and also batted .247 in four consecutive seasons from 2015-18.
But he experienced massive declines the past two seasons, dealing with injuries in each. Mechanically speaking, Woodward said, Davis’ swing was good enough.
The issue was timing, and that is what also caused him to start slowly this spring. Woodward explained that Davis is a feel hitter who needs to have proper rhythm to be successful.
While finding that, Davis has stumbled onto something else that will help him.
He has been making the best swing decisions on the team.
As the Rangers gauge it, a good swing decision isn’t necessarily swinging at strikes. It’s swinging at pitches in a hitter’s hot zone while also cutting down on chasing those out of the strike zone.
“That’s something we talk about with our hitters a ton, without losing your aggressiveness, though,” Woodward said. “It’s a really hard thing. If everybody could do it, everybody would be elite. But he’s been really good at it.”
The Rangers are rebuilding, so a highly compensated 33-year-old DH-only player on the decline doesn’t look like a fit.
But the Rangers need Gallo to be better, and a good Davis would help with that by preventing opponents from pitching around Gallo.
There’s room for Davis at designated hitter, with Willie Calhoun not expected to be ready for the Opening Day roster. The Rangers need some punch after fielding one of baseball’s worst offenses in 2020.
Davis, who was off Friday, even fits the culture Woodward is hoping to create.
But he still needs to keep his foot on the gas.
“It’s really encouraging for him to start to the the results now,” Woodward said. “He’s feeling confident, and hopefully he can keep doing it and ride it out the whole year.”
This story was originally published March 19, 2021 at 5:11 PM.
