Through the minimal good, A LOT of bad, and even more ugly moments this season, there have been a couple bright spots. Yoan Moncada seems to be figuring things out at the plate, and Reynaldo Lopez is pitching like an ace. But perhaps the biggest surprise has been the rise of Matt Davidson.
Since the White Sox have been so bad this year, it is naturally easy to overlook what he has done/is doing this year. Coming into tonight’s game, he carries a .974 OPS. That is higher than Bryce Harper, Javy Baez, Carlos Correa, Kyle Schwarber, and Ozzie Albies; just to name a few.
He also has ALREADY set a new career high in walks. It’s May. His previous high was 19. He is on pace to finish with 96 this year… Oh, and he’s also on pace for 45 home runs and 105 RBI’s if you’re into that sort of thing.
While he is still on pace to strike out a lot, (188 times to be exact), he has still managed to drop his K% 7 percent from 37% last year to 30% this year. And with that, he has (obviously) been able to raise his walk rate from 4% to 15%. This has led to a .383 OBP. In other words, he has vastly improved his game in multiple areas. One of the most important areas that may get overlooked is that he currently leads the league in pitches per at-bat at 4.60. Not only does that also contribute to his walk rate, but it helps out whoever is batting behind him so they can get a better look at the opposing pitcher.
With Davidson having just turned 27 years old a month ago, he is smack dab in the middle of his prime and on pace for an All-Star caliber season. With the White Sox residing at the bottom of the league’s standings, he might not be getting the recognition he deserves. Recognition or not, the stats don’t lie, and Matty D’s show that he should represent the White Sox at the Mid-Summer Classic.
