Amidst all of the uncertainty at the first base position, the signing of Ike Davis can go in various directions for the New York Yankees.
After showing promising signs in his early career with the New York Mets, Ike Davis has been all over the place and is fortunate enough to have a big league job. When the New York Yankees signed him on Sunday, it brought about a mixed reaction as to how the first baseman will perform.A stellar rookie season and a 32 homer, 90 RBI third season highlighted a shaky tenure with the Mets. He remained a true hit-or-miss type player throughout.
When the team decided to go with Lucas Duda and send Davis packing, he never truly found what he once had. The Pirates placed their faith in him, but all he delivered was 10 home runs and a .378 slugging in 131 games.
The same went with his time in Oakland. In 2015, he only managed three long balls and a subpar .301 OBP for an A’s team that prides themselves on that category.
The downturn found the 29-year-old with no major league job in 2016. He showed positive signs with the Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers, maintaining a .786 OPS with 25 RBIs in 39 games.
That certainly caught the eye of the Yankees, who have lost four first baseman in a true shuffle this season. However, what must have caught the eye of Brian Cashman to more of an extent was the raw power Davis possesses.
A 32 homer season still sits with his name, the tremendous nature of some of those jolts throughout his career have not gone unnoticed, and do not forget the venue he is about to start playing in.
Whether the Yankees platoon him with Rob Refsnyder or eventually give him everyday duties, his pop will provide a presence in a lineup still filled with some uncertainty and a ballpark with the number ‘314’ in right field. Yes, that signifies feet.
There is no denying that the ex-Met will be home run or bust once again, but that is all the Yankees are looking for. They are in search of someone to drive the ball and provide first base production that has been absent even when Mark Teixeira was on the field.
Then again, there is the remote possibility that that the big left-handed hitter loses a power stroke that has largely evaded him since that 2012 campaign.
With that being said, one of the factors that went into making this move was the decent chance that the Yanks catch lightning in a bottle, or what nearly happened with Chris Parmelee before he stretched too far trying to receive a throw.
The version the Yankees get of Ike Davis can greatly impact their offense, the season, and even his career.
Time will tell, but the club has nothing to lose given their luck at the position thus far. When Davis puts on pinstripes, anything is in the realm of possibility.
