Khris Davis Honored with Edgar Martínez Outstanding DH Award

Oakland A’s designated hitter Khris Davis has been named the recipient of the Edgar Martinez Outstanding DH of the Year Award.

Davis is the third Athletics player to win the Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award, joining Dave Kingman (1984) and Dave Parker (1989).

Davis, 30, hit .247 (142-for-576) with 98 runs, 28 doubles, 1 triple, 48 home runs, 123 RBI with a .549 slugging percentage. He set career bests in runs, hits, home runs, RBI, slugging percentage and OPS. He led all designated hitters (as a DH) in games (139), at-bats (535), runs (93), hits (132), doubles (25), home runs (46), RBI (118), and was second in walks (55) and slugging percentage (.555).

He hit a Major League leading and career-high 48 home runs and ranked second with a career-high 123 RBI. It was his third straight 40-homer season and his third straight 100-RBI season, becoming the 22nd player in Major League history with at least three straight seasons of 40 home runs and 100 RBI, the first since Ryan Howard had four straight from 2006–09. He joined Jimmie Foxx as the only player in club history to do it. He is the seventh player (12th time) in Athletics history to lead the Majors in home runs, the first since Mark McGwire in 1996 (52). His 48 home runs ranked third in Oakland history and tied for fourth in Athletics history.

Now in its 45th season, the Outstanding Designated Hitter Award was renamed by Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig in a September 2004 ceremony at Safeco Field in honor of the retiring Martinez. Ballots are cast by club beat writers, broadcasters and AL public relations departments with nominees including all players with a minimum of 100 at-bats as a designated hitter.