With his sixth stolen base in the 2018 season, Rajai Davis reaches 400 career stolen bases. At 37-years old, he continues to be one of the biggest threats in the league on the base paths and possesses a trait that is underutilized in today’s game. Nevertheless, it is valuable if used with a player of Davis’ speed.
Rajai Davis Reaches 400 Career Stolen Bases
Career
His career .264 batting average is respectable and for a former 1,134th overall draft pick, making it to the big leagues is an accomplishment in itself. He has played on seven different MLB teams over his twelve-year career, and his 50 stolen base campaign with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2010 continues to be a career best. Toronto stole a total of 58 bases in the entire 2010 season, which further highlights the value a player with speed can give to a franchise.
Players who possess an ability to steal bases and wreck havoc when they reach first will always be compared to the greatest base stealer of all time in Rickey Henderson. Davis, and similar players like Dee Gordon and Billy Hamilton, are the closest thing the modern day fan will come to seeing Henderson. It is obvious that the 1982 season, in which Henderson alone stole 130 bases, is a thing of the past. The Los Angeles Angels were the only team to surpass 130 bases last year as an entire team.
Davis becomes just the 74th player in league history to reach 400 stolen bases and will need another 29 to crack the top sixty. His current one-year deal with the Cleveland Indians at $1.75 million is a steal, pun intended, for what he can bring to the reigning Central division champions, who will look for another 100-win season in 2018.
Davis turns 38 in October and is definitely approaching the end of his career. At just 11.4 career WAR, Davis is far from a Hall of Fame player, but he should still be commended for an impressive career and accomplishment.
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