For the most part, it's been a nightmare season for A's designated hitter Khris Davis.
After surpassing 40 home runs and 100 RBI in each of the last three seasons, the 31-year-old has just 23 homers and 73 RBI, along with a paltry .220/.291/.389 slash line, the worst of his seven-year career. Despite his overall struggles at the plate, however, Davis actually has fared quite well against left-handed pitching.
Following Tuesday's two-hit performance, which included a two-run homer, Davis is slashing .283/.372/.544 against southpaws. That's significantly better than his career .243/.328/.502 slash line against lefties.
KHRUSHED 🙌 pic.twitter.com/HycSDlfV7e— A's on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) September 25, 2019
Davis has started to heat up overall during the past couple of weeks. In his last 15 games, he is hitting .259 with four homers and 13 RBI. That follows a 48-game span where he hit a lowly .162 with just three homers and 48 strikeouts.
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"In Texas, he had a really good series," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "He's gotten some big hits even though he hasn't had multiple hits in games, it seems like. I think he's coming along pretty well. ... I think he's feeling as good as he has in quite some time."
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For some reason, Davis has struggled much more at the Coliseum this year than on the road. He slashed .172/.247/.295 at home, compared to .273/.340/.493 in away games. The .172 home batting average was the lowest by any player in Oakland A's history.
Still, the A's have to feel encouraged about Davis' performance in September. If he can get back anywhere near his offensive potential, Oakland's lineup will become significantly more dangerous in time for a potential postseason run, especially against lefties.
