[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by Orioles1954

1.) Chris Davis' "plunge" started during the second half of last season
2.) Davis has spent time on the DL due to an oblique injury. Such injuries affect swings and zap power.
3.) American League pitchers have figured out that Davis' power is limited to inside fastballs. The majority of the pitches he has seen are low and outside....where he is prone to chase
4.) Davis has been far less selective this season.

Far more convincing reasons than steroid speculation.

I agree. I don't think Davis is a steroid user. I live just outside of Arlington, so I got a chance to see Davis play for the Rangers. He's shown this same power ever since he was called up to the Majors. He hit 38 home runs in his first 686 at bats over two seasons. The problem is the Rangers never used him as a full-time player.

Davis is going through the same thing Ryan Braun has been battling most of the season. First, Braun had the thumb injury, which was bad enough, because it meant he couldn't tell how tightly he was gripping the handle. His thumb has been black and blue on and off. Then he suffered an oblique injury, and he's still battling it. He's not able to pull the ball like he normally can because of it. All of his hits right now are going to right or right center field. Eventually, those will heal, and both Davis and Braun will see their power numbers jump back up. For now, at least Braun is still being productive, as he's driven in 49 runs despite missing 16 games on the DL.