The last time we checked in on Chris Davis, things weren’t going so hot. He was about halfway through what turned out to be one of the worst seasons in baseball history.

In 470 at-bats for the Baltimore Orioles, Davis hit .168, the lowest average since 1900 for a player who qualified for the batting title. Based on the advanced metric wins above replacement, or WAR, he was worth about three wins less than a typical Triple-A call-up.

But...