First baseman Chris Davis has been on a tear of late, going 6-for-11 the last three games, due in part to his efforts to use all parts of the field. Davis also credits the turnaround to being more selective at the plate.
Earlier in the spring, Davis was struggling mightily, chasing breaking balls well off the plate, resulting in a batting average under .200. Davis has since begun shooting the ball the other way, raising his average to a very respectable .291.
Said Manager Ron Washington, "He's not trying to have that super at-bat. He has slowed his mind down, and he's making them get the ball up now. Sometimes all it takes is just seeing some more pitches."
Last season, Davis struck out 88 times in 295 at-bats. Though he was a rookie, 88 strikeouts is an alarming number for so few games played (80). If Davis is to take the next step in becoming the everyday major league player Texas needs him to be, learning to constistently lay off bad breaking pitches has got to be a priority. Doing so will not only cut down on the strikeouts but also extend at-bats, forcing pitchers to keep the ball closer to the zone, giving Davis more opportunities to do what he does best: drive the baseball.
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