Biographical

Portrait of Eric Davis

Eric Davis CFReds

Reds Player Cards | Reds Team Audit | Reds Depth Chart

Career Summary
Years PA AVG OBP SLG DRC+ WARP
21 6147 .269 .359 .482 120 32.2
Birth Date5-29-1962
Height6' 3"
Weight200 lbs
Age61 years, 10 months, 27 days
BatsR
ThrowsR
WARP Summary

MLB Statistics

YEAR TEAM AGE G PA H 2B 3B HR BB SO HBP SB CS AVG OBP SLG DRC+ DRAA BRR FRAA BWARP
1984 CIN 22 57 200 39 10 1 10 24 48 1 10 2 .224 .320 .466 117 4.5 2.3 2.4 1.6
1985 CIN 23 56 131 30 3 3 8 7 39 0 16 3 .246 .287 .516 96 -0.1 2.2 -0.6 0.5
1986 CIN 24 132 487 115 15 3 27 68 100 1 80 11 .277 .378 .523 141 24.1 10.4 -7.6 4.1
1987 CIN 25 129 562 139 23 4 37 84 134 1 50 6 .293 .399 .593 147 32.9 10.5 16.2 7.7
1988 CIN 26 135 543 129 18 3 26 65 124 3 35 3 .273 .363 .489 126 15.8 3.9 -3.6 3.4
1989 CIN 27 131 542 130 14 2 34 68 116 1 21 7 .281 .367 .541 148 30.0 0.9 -10.4 3.9
1990 CIN 28 127 518 118 26 2 24 60 100 2 21 3 .260 .347 .486 120 12.2 3.9 -2.8 2.8
1991 CIN 29 89 340 67 10 0 11 48 92 5 14 2 .235 .353 .386 103 1.8 1.2 -3.8 1.0
1992 LAN 30 76 308 61 8 1 5 36 71 3 19 1 .228 .325 .322 96 -0.5 -1.0 -10.0 -0.6
1993 DET 31 23 89 19 1 1 6 14 18 0 2 2 .253 .371 .533 106 1.0 -0.8 -0.1 0.3
1993 LAN 31 108 422 88 17 0 14 41 88 1 33 5 .234 .308 .391 103 3.0 3.0 5.6 2.1
1994 DET 32 37 138 22 4 0 3 18 45 0 5 0 .183 .290 .292 63 -6.2 0.8 -2.3 -0.3
1996 CIN 34 129 496 119 20 0 26 70 121 6 23 9 .287 .394 .523 128 20.7 3.2 -1.1 3.7
1997 BAL 35 42 176 48 11 0 8 14 47 1 6 0 .304 .358 .525 99 0.6 0.6 -7.5 -0.4
1998 BAL 36 131 508 148 29 1 28 44 108 5 7 6 .327 .388 .582 139 26.3 -2.7 -6.6 2.4
1999 SLN 37 58 223 49 9 2 5 30 49 1 5 4 .257 .359 .403 95 -0.5 1.9 -3.9 0.1
2000 SLN 38 92 293 77 14 0 6 36 60 1 1 1 .303 .389 .429 95 -0.2 -0.7 -0.1 0.5
2001 SFN 39 74 171 32 7 3 4 13 38 1 1 1 .205 .269 .365 65 -6.8 -0.1 -2.6 -0.6
Career1626614714302392628274013983334966.269.359.482120158.639.4-38.832.2

Statistics for All Levels

'opp' stats - Quality of opponents faced - have been moved and are available only as OPP_QUAL in the Statistics reports now.
Minor league stats are currently shownClick to hide.
YEAR Team Lg LG G PA oppAVG oppOBP oppSLG BABIP BPF BRAA repLVL POS_ADJ DRC+ DRC+ SD FRAA BRR DRAA BWARP
1980 EUG A- NWN 33 87 .000 .000 .000 .326 0.0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
1981 EUG A- NWN 62 274 .000 .000 .000 .397 0.0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
1982 CDR A MDW 111 492 .000 .000 .000 .329 0.0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
1983 WBY AA EAS 89 366 .000 .000 .000 .345 0.0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
1983 IND AAA AA 19 88 .000 .000 .000 .327 0.0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
1984 CIN MLB NL 57 200 .257 .317 .368 .248 98 7.6 5.4 0.3 117 15 2.4 2.3 4.5 1.6
1984 WIC AAA AA 52 223 .000 .000 .000 .373 0.0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
1985 CIN MLB NL 56 131 .255 .320 .385 .293 94 2.8 3.5 0 96 20 -0.6 2.2 -0.1 0.5
1985 DEN AAA AA 64 239 .000 .000 .000 .339 0.0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
1986 CIN MLB NL 132 487 .255 .322 .384 .302 104 29.1 13.5 -0.9 141 9 -7.6 10.4 24.1 4.1
1987 CIN MLB NL 129 562 .261 .325 .401 .333 101 42.8 16.6 1.3 147 9 16.2 10.5 32.9 7.7
1988 CIN MLB NL 135 543 .247 .304 .360 .317 102 17.9 14.2 1.1 126 8 -3.6 3.9 15.8 3.4
1989 CIN MLB NL 131 542 .246 .309 .364 .297 104 30.1 14.1 1 148 11 -10.4 0.9 30.0 3.9
1990 CIN MLB NL 127 518 .259 .319 .386 .283 106 16.3 13.9 -0.8 120 8 -2.8 3.9 12.2 2.8
1991 CIN MLB NL 89 340 .248 .308 .372 .304 107 0.7 9.2 0.7 103 11 -3.8 1.2 1.8 1.0
1992 LAN MLB NL 76 308 .250 .305 .366 .290 97 -4.5 8.0 -1.9 96 9 -10.0 -1.0 -0.5 -0.6
1993 DET MLB AL 23 89 .259 .329 .396 .255 103 4.1 2.6 -0.1 106 11 -0.1 -0.8 1.0 0.3
1993 LAN MLB NL 108 422 .265 .322 .404 .266 96 -3 12.1 -2.8 103 11 5.6 3.0 3.0 2.1
1994 DET MLB AL 37 138 .268 .345 .430 .264 104 -8.9 4.2 0.4 63 12 -2.3 0.8 -6.2 -0.3
1996 CIN MLB NL 129 496 .265 .328 .415 .342 102 21 15.3 0.8 128 9 -1.1 3.2 20.7 3.7
1997 BAL MLB AL 42 176 .279 .347 .442 .377 94 9.9 4.9 -2.3 99 14 -7.5 0.6 0.6 -0.4
1998 BAL MLB AL 131 508 .266 .335 .425 .372 96 41.2 13.9 -6.6 139 9 -6.6 -2.7 26.3 2.4
1999 SLN MLB NL 58 223 .273 .342 .439 .319 99 2.7 6.1 -2.5 95 10 -3.9 1.9 -0.5 0.1
2000 SLN MLB NL 92 293 .273 .346 .441 .374 115 1.1 9.2 -3.3 95 14 -0.1 -0.7 -0.2 0.5
2001 SFN MLB NL 74 171 .271 .335 .439 .243 98 -4.9 5.1 -1.6 65 11 -2.6 -0.1 -6.8 -0.6

Statistics For All Levels

Minor league stats are currently shownClick to hide.
Year Team lvl LG PA AB R H 2B 3B HR TB RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG ISO SF SH
1980 EUG A- NWN 87 73 12 16 1 0 1 20 11 14 26 10 1 .219 .345 .274 .055 0 0
1981 EUG A- NWN 274 214 67 69 10 4 11 120 39 57 59 40 7 .322 .464 .561 .238 2 2
1982 CDR A MDW 492 434 80 120 20 5 15 195 56 51 103 53 12 .276 .353 .449 .173 3 3
1983 IND AAA AA 88 77 18 23 4 0 7 48 19 8 22 9 2 .299 .375 .623 .325 1 1
1983 WBY AA EAS 366 293 56 85 13 1 15 145 43 65 75 39 12 .290 .427 .495 .205 0 0
1984 CIN MLB NL 200 174 33 39 10 1 10 81 30 24 48 10 2 .224 .320 .466 .241 1 0
1984 WIC AAA AA 223 194 42 61 9 5 14 122 34 25 55 27 10 .314 .396 .629 .314 1 1
1985 CIN MLB NL 131 122 26 30 3 3 8 63 18 7 39 16 3 .246 .287 .516 .270 0 2
1985 DEN AAA AA 239 206 48 57 10 2 15 116 38 29 67 35 5 .277 .369 .563 .286 0 0
1986 CIN MLB NL 487 415 97 115 15 3 27 217 71 68 100 80 11 .277 .378 .523 .246 3 0
1987 CIN MLB NL 562 474 120 139 23 4 37 281 100 84 134 50 6 .293 .399 .593 .300 3 0
1988 CIN MLB NL 543 472 81 129 18 3 26 231 93 65 124 35 3 .273 .363 .489 .216 3 0
1989 CIN MLB NL 542 462 74 130 14 2 34 250 101 68 116 21 7 .281 .367 .541 .260 11 0
1990 CIN MLB NL 518 453 84 118 26 2 24 220 86 60 100 21 3 .260 .347 .486 .225 3 0
1991 CIN MLB NL 340 285 39 67 10 0 11 110 33 48 92 14 2 .235 .353 .386 .151 2 0
1992 LAN MLB NL 308 267 21 61 8 1 5 86 32 36 71 19 1 .228 .325 .322 .094 2 0
1993 LAN MLB NL 422 376 57 88 17 0 14 147 53 41 88 33 5 .234 .308 .391 .157 4 0
1993 DET MLB AL 89 75 14 19 1 1 6 40 15 14 18 2 2 .253 .371 .533 .280 0 0
1994 DET MLB AL 138 120 19 22 4 0 3 35 13 18 45 5 0 .183 .290 .292 .108 0 0
1996 CIN MLB NL 496 415 81 119 20 0 26 217 83 70 121 23 9 .287 .394 .523 .236 4 1
1997 BAL MLB AL 176 158 29 48 11 0 8 83 25 14 47 6 0 .304 .358 .525 .222 3 0
1998 BAL MLB AL 508 452 81 148 29 1 28 263 89 44 108 7 6 .327 .388 .582 .254 7 0
1999 SLN MLB NL 223 191 27 49 9 2 5 77 30 30 49 5 4 .257 .359 .403 .147 1 0
2000 SLN MLB NL 293 254 38 77 14 0 6 109 40 36 60 1 1 .303 .389 .429 .126 2 0
2001 SFN MLB NL 171 156 17 32 7 3 4 57 22 13 38 1 1 .205 .269 .365 .160 1 0

Plate Discipline

YEAR Pits Zone% Swing% Contact% Z-Swing% O-Swing% Z-Contact% O-Contact% SwStr% CSAA

Injury History  —  No longer being updated

Last Update: 12/31/2014 23:59 ET

Date On Date Off Transaction Days Games Side Body Part Injury Severity Surgery Date Reaggravation
2001-05-27 2001-06-15 15-DL 19 17 Left Shoulder Strain - -
2001-04-06 2001-04-11 DTD 5 4 Left Knee Strain - -
2001-03-14 2001-03-16 Camp 2 0 - Low Back Spasms - -
2000-07-29 2000-07-30 DTD 1 1 - General Medical Illness - -
1999-06-28 1999-10-03 60-DL 97 85 Left Shoulder Surgery Rotator Cuff 1999-08-15 -
1999-05-12 1999-05-15 DTD 3 2 - General Medical Illness - -
1999-04-21 1999-04-24 DTD 3 2 Left Hand Contusion HBP - -
1998-06-25 1998-06-30 DTD 5 4 Left Elbow Contusion HBP - -
1998-05-20 1998-05-24 DTD 4 4 - Elbow Soreness - -
1998-04-10 1998-04-14 DTD 4 3 - Ankle Sprain - -
1998-04-02 1998-04-04 DTD 2 2 - Low Back Soreness - -
1997-09-01 1997-09-15 DTD 14 13 - Abdomen Recovery From Previous Injury Colon Cancer 1997-06-19 -
1997-05-26 1997-09-15 60-DL 112 100 - Abdomen Surgery Colon Cancer 1997-06-19 -
1997-05-08 1997-05-12 DTD 4 4 - Thigh Strain Hamstring - -
1997-04-28 1997-05-01 DTD 3 2 - General Medical Illness - -
1997-04-16 1997-04-22 DTD 6 4 Left Knee Inflammation - -
1996-05-26 1996-06-10 15-DL 15 11 - Trunk Contusion Ribcage - -
1994-05-23 1994-07-26 15-DL 64 58 - Low Back Nerve Injury Pinched Nerve - -
1992-08-02 1992-08-25 15-DL 23 21 Left Wrist Soreness - -
1992-05-23 1992-06-19 15-DL 27 24 - Shoulder Separation - -
1991-07-31 1991-08-27 15-DL 27 27 - General Medical Illness Fatigue - -
1991-06-12 1991-06-27 15-DL 15 14 Right Thigh Strain Quadriceps - -
1990-10-20 1990-10-20 Off 0 0 - Abdomen Laceration Kidney Diving for Ball - -
1990-04-25 1990-05-21 15-DL 26 23 Right Knee Sprain MCL - -
1989-09-03 1989-09-07 DTD 4 4 - Wrist Sprain - -
1989-05-03 1989-05-19 15-DL 16 14 - Thigh Strain Hamstring - -
1984-08-15 1984-09-01 15-DL 17 15 - Not Disclosed - -

Compensation

Year Team Salary
2001 SFN $1,500,000
2000 SLN $4,500,000
YearsDescriptionSalary
2 yrPrevious$6,000,000
2 yrTotal$6,000,000

 

Service TimeAgentContract Status

2019 Preseason Forecast

Last Update: 1/27/2017 12:35 ET

PCT PA R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG DRC+ VORP FRAA WARP
Weighted Mean???????00??.000.000.00000.0?0.0

BP Annual Player Comments

No BP Book Comments have been found for this player.

BP Articles

Click here to see articles tagged with Eric Davis

BP Chats

DateQuestionAnswer
2015-06-22 13:00:00 (link to chat)Is Buxton the next Eric Davis?
(Chris from Phoenix)
Yes, actually, though hopefully with a better end result. People don't remember how good Eric Davis was. He had a stretch from 86-88 where he averaged 30 home runs and 55 steals a season. Averaged! It's a better comp for Buxton than the Trout comps thrown around because of the body type. I'm big on that when it comes to comp. Trout's neck is thicker than Buxton's waist. It just doesn't work. (Jeff Moore)
2014-07-07 11:00:00 (link to chat)Re: Trout/Jackson. Am I crazy for thinking that Trout is what a healthy Eric Davis could have been? Davis seems to have had a hit tool that Bo didn't (less raw, admittedly).
(achaik from Maine)
Not bad. Can we all take a minute to appreciate how amazing Eric Davis was, and what he could have become if he stayed healthy? It's magical. If Davis stayed healthy, we could be talking about one of the best all-around players in the modern era. (Jason Parks on the Top 50)
2014-07-07 11:00:00 (link to chat)Does Buxton have a healty Eric Davis ceiling? His 1987 season is tremendous.
(Ian from OK)
It could be that high, yes. Which is one of the reasons I can justify his lofty ranking despite the injury setbacks this season. (Jason Parks on the Top 50)
2014-07-07 11:00:00 (link to chat)As someone who grew up near Cincy, my man crush on Eric Davis has never waned. Thanks for helping to impress upon a generation who likely never saw him what an amazing talent he was.
(DF from Wilmington, NC)
I wish I could go back to my childhood and pay more attention to him in game action. (Jason Parks on the Top 50)
2014-05-13 11:00:00 (link to chat)Thanks for the extra long chat today (don't tell anyone I'm at work!). It would have been interesting to see what a healthy Bo Jackson AND a healthy Eric Davis could have done with full careers.
(Goldeye99 from Winnipeg)
Davis is another player that gets forgotten. That's a no shit HOF and generational legend if he stayed healthy. Excellent call. (Jason Parks)
2013-04-15 13:00:00 (link to chat)If you could go back and give any player a completely healthy career to see what they could do with their full capabilities, who would you pick? I'm having a tough time deciding between Mickey Mantle and Eric Davis...
(Nick from Los Feliz, CA)
Hey Nick, this is another fun one. I'm tempted to say Bo Jackson because of the tools, but I don't know how complete a ballplayer he would have become even without the injury. A healthy career from Davis boggles the mind. I literally get goosebumps thinking about it. I'll go with Davis. On the pitching side, Sandy Koufax or Bret Saberhagen. (Geoff Young)
2012-10-23 13:00:00 (link to chat)About Byron Buxton, can he be Eric Davis?
(rangerfans2 from Fort Worth)
Probably not. (Jason Parks)
2012-10-23 13:00:00 (link to chat)Eric Davis.... how good could that dude have been if he were able to stay healthy?
(Mike from 'Merica)
HOF. First ballot. (Jason Parks)
2010-07-09 13:00:00 (link to chat)Combined career all-star appearances for Brandon Wood, Andy Marte, and Cameron Maybin, 0.5, Over or Under?
(Karen from NY)
Now there's a depressing thought. I never thought Brandon Wood's approach would translate to the majors--I've been harping on this for five years or so, seriously--but I also didn't think he'd tank *this* hard. Cameron Maybin's ceiling seems to have quickly fallen from "Eric Davis, maybe?" to "Mike Cameron, maybe?" to "Let's just keep our current outfield out there for now". Such an odd situation. (Marc Normandin)
2010-04-01 13:00:00 (link to chat)OK ... so *IS* Jayson Heyward the next Dave Winfield, OR Eric Davis?
(dianagramr from NYC)
I lean Winfield. Is there ANY player in baseball who is going to have a 30 HR/50 SB season any time soon? (Steven Goldman)
2010-04-01 13:00:00 (link to chat)BJ Upton seems to be the better comp with Eric Davis, right down to the build.
(RMR from Chicago)
He seems like the most likely guy to do it, but after the last couple of seasons I'm just not sure what to expect from him. A 30-50 season seems a long way off when you've hit 20 HRs in your last two seasons. (Steven Goldman)
2010-02-05 13:00:00 (link to chat)Is this the year for Cameron Maybin's breakout?
(Scott from NJ)
I say he turns it on by June, but what's his ceiling these days? Are we still looking at Eric Davis, or is he Mike Cameron? (Marc Normandin)
2009-10-09 13:30:00 (link to chat)Fun subjective question: Based on what you've seen and older scouts you know, who are the five most physically talented prospects of the past 25-30 years? Griffey, A-Rod, Bo Jackson, Eric Davis, Strawberry?
(Jonathan from New York)
I love this question, but the discussion would take . . . years. Justin Upton comes to mind for recent guys, Dave Winfield if we can go back a few more years. (Kevin Goldstein)
2009-07-24 16:30:00 (link to chat)Is there still hope for Cameron Maybin? While he was initially projected as an Eric Davis type, his power seems to have disappeared. Can he become anything more than a CF with a little speed and pop? Thanks.
(Fish Fan from FLA)
There is PLENTY of hope, but the Marlins need to get off their butts and bring him up. I don't know what more he has to prove in the minors. (Eric Seidman)
2009-08-05 13:00:00 (link to chat)taking a clue from your previous response and limiting my question to one name- Josh Hamilton. What's with him? How can one guy injure himself so often? What happened to Roy Hobbs?
(john from ct)
The injury thing happens to a lot of players, which is sad. Eric Davis is the worst one that comes to mind for me, given his talent level.

I'm sure Hamilton can bounce back, but those struggles during his rehab stints are pretty ugly. Give him some time to recover fully. (Marc Normandin)
2008-11-14 13:00:00 (link to chat)How great would Eric Davis truly have been if not for the injuries?
(Brandon from Charleston)
Well, he was pretty great as it was. He probably wouldn't have been too different, with perhaps a couple more years around the level of that 1986-1989 peak. I don't know if it would have been enough to get him into the Hall of Fame, given that his first manager was Pete Rose, who was more focused on getting himself, Tony Perez, and other 40-something pals into the lineup than he was breaking in this kid with the great speed. Davis lost some playing time that way in what would have been the healthy, or healthier, part of his career. As it was, he was one of the most exciting players I ever saw, and my personal inspiration for one of our forthcoming projects. (Steven Goldman)
2008-11-14 13:00:00 (link to chat)Take Brandon's question and substitute Bo Jackson for Eric Davis.
(Mike K from Athens, GA)
It's a somewhat harder question because Bo knew a lot of things, but he didn't know the strike zone--though he was clearly getting to know it better at the point that it all fell apart. With a normal career arc, I suspect that he would have suffered a decline in bat speed somewhere that would have really curtailed his KILL THE BALL approach and left him without much to fall back on, but that's just speculation. What I'm trying to say is I don't think it would have been a long career either way, but obviously there would have been around three more years in the 1989-1990 zone. Would have been fun. He was always entertaining, even when striking out. (Steven Goldman)
2008-09-10 13:00:00 (link to chat)I don't recall exactly when Eric Davis retired, and I have to acknowledge that his career numbers don't come close to HOF material. However, he stands out to this Reds fan as one of the most exciting players of his era, and I'll forever wonder what might have been had he stayed healthy. What's your top-5 list of "coulda shoulda" players?
(BelongstotheReds from Seattle)
No joke, I got all verklempt when I wrote up Davis' blurb for a JAWS piece a couple years back. The man possessed the most electrifying speed/power combo to hit the majors between Willie Mays and Barry Bonds, period. What I wouldn't give to see him play at his peak again...

Davis and his childhood pal Darryl Strawberry make a good strat to a top five for the Hall of Should aWouldaCoulda, and you can't mention the straw without calling upon Dwight Gooden too. Add David Cone and Fernando Valenzuela and you've got an easy five from me, though I'm certain there are others I could include particularly from other eras. (Jay Jaffe)
2008-07-29 16:00:00 (link to chat)80s analogy of the day: Adam Dunn: Austin Kearns = Eric Davis: Kal Daniels
(DrManhattan from NY, NY)
You looked good in the Watchmen trailer, Doc. (Will Carroll)
2008-06-20 13:30:00 (link to chat)Do you think Chris B Young will eventually hit for a respectable average (.270)? He seems to have major contact issues right now, but on a positive note, his walk rate has increased.
(Tim from Glendale)
Lots of Chris Young questions. This is why the Mike Cameron comps were so prevalent. Some guys can strike out this much and be Eric Davis, but more just can't get the BA up high enough to be that valuable. His strikeout rate will improve, and he will hit for a higher average; it just may be that he never bats .300, so he won't be a superstar. (Joe Sheehan)
2008-05-28 13:00:00 (link to chat)I love false nostalgia for a fake time in baseball...everything about Baseball in the 80's was an attempt to make it like other sports...multi-purpose stadiums all around, awful "modern" jerseys (Astros, White Sox, etc.) Emphasis on the speed game to make it "faster" . . . bad times. Baseball was trying to be something it wasn't. Look at the attendance...Baseball in the 80's stunk.
(George W. from Alexandria, VA)
You mean after the owners got together and decided to collude on salaries, they also colluded on offensive styles as well? You've completely misread history. Few teams emphasized speed to the exclusion of all else, principally the Cardinals, and that was only because that's how Whitey Herzog figured he could make his park work for him. Others had select players who could run and run really well, like Rickey Henderson or Eric Davis, but could also get on base and hit the ball out of the park. In many ways it was a more dynamic game, with all of those styles coming together to make a really varied offense. I would argue it was the apotheosis of all the eras that came before it, the truce between the lively ball and previous era of "inside baseball" and thus the epitome of baseball, a sampling of everything that made the game great... No defending the cookie cutter parks, but those were mostly the offspring of the 1970s and proved to be really transient. (Steven Goldman)


BP Roundtables

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