PressBox publisher Stan Charles reminded me the other day that he predicted a few weeks ago that Chris Davis would be a critical part of the Orioles' fortunes this season. He was, indeed, dead on.

Early in May, you would have though Davis was going to remembered for being the winning pitcher against the Red Sox during a 17-inning marathon game.

He's offering so much more, and everything the Orioles need from him.

Davis is batting an impressive .308 this season, best on the Orioles, and his .306 average through the first two weeks of June show the first number is no fluke. He has three home runs this month and 12 overall. His 31 RBIs are third on the team.

Not everything is sweet. He's second on the club with 57 strikeouts. A third of the way through the season, he's on pace for more than 150 for the season. But, what's most impressive and encouraging about him is that the strikeouts are not defining him. He's putting the ball in play at the right moments.

Davis has been in the DH spot for the last two weeks while manager Buck Showalter once again tries Mark Reynolds at first base. Davis is playing the role of the good teammate right now and giving the club a solid DH. The problem is that Reynolds is a liability at third base and no one has particularly played the position well, leaving Davis without one.

Davis is more of the Orioles' future than Reynolds, and they should treat him as such. It's unpredictable whether he'll continue to hit this well the rest of the season. As long as he does, the Orioles will remain competitive in the AL East.

Posted June 15, 2012