The Orioles' Chris Davis just broke an MLB record no one wants to break
Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis didn't need to do much more to forever cement his baseball legacy in infamy after finishing the 2018 season with the lowest batting average of all time — an Earth-shattering .168 mark. He also strikes out ... a lot. But he continued his quest to break records for all the wrong reasons on Monday night.
Davis, who was at one time a feared slugger (he finished third in American League MVP voting in 2013), just cannot, for the life of him, get a hit. Dating back to last September, Davis is now hitless in 49 at-bats, following an 0 for 5 performance against the Oakland Athletics in Baltimore on Monday evening in a 12-4 Orioles victory. That batting line pushed Davis past former utility-man Eugenio Velez's record of 46 at-bats without a hit, per ESPN.
Davis did at least make some good contact during the game, lining out in his first three at-bats. But that doesn't show up in the box score.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Still, the beleaguered first baseman, who is in the fourth year of a 7-year, $161 million deal, can take solace in his handsome contract, as well as the fact that, well, not many people actually saw him break the record. The Orioles' stadium, Orioles Park at Camden Yards, registered the lowest fan attendance in the park's 28-year-history.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
Rosalía and the rise of nunmaniaUnder The Radar It may just be a ‘seasonal spike’ but Spain is ‘enthralled’ with all things nun
-
Magazine solutions - November 14, 2025Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - November 14, 2025
-
Israel jolted by ‘shocking’ settler violenceIN THE SPOTLIGHT A wave of brazen attacks on Palestinian communities in the West Bank has prompted a rare public outcry from Israeli officials
-
2 MLB pitchers charged with rigging throws for betsSpeed Read Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz have been indicted
-
FBI nabs dozens in alleged NBA gambling ringSpeed Read Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier are among 34 people indicted in connection with federal gambling investigations
-
Trump orders NFL team to change name, or elseSpeed Read The president wants the Washington Commanders to change its name back to the 'Redskins'
-
Thunder beat Pacers to clinch NBA FinalsSpeed Read Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals
-
MLB lifts ban on Pete Rose, other dead playersspeed read 16 deceased players banned for gambling and other scandals can now be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame
-
Canada beats US in charged 4 Nations hockey finalSpeed Read 'You can't take our country — and you can't take our game,' Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted after the game
-
Eagles trounce Chiefs in Super Bowl LIXspeed read The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22
-
Indian teen is youngest world chess championSpeed Read Gukesh Dommaraju, 18, unseated China's Ding Liren
