Chris Davis among 2026 inductees into Orioles Hall of Fame

Since Chris Davis said goodbye to Baltimore — or, perhaps, since Baltimore said goodbye to Davis — the ending seemed to weigh more than the beginning.

The former first baseman was named among the 2026 inductees for the Orioles Hall of Fame, though, meaning the soaring heights of Davis’ contributions to the club may finally be fully appreciated for what they were.

Davis joins the Orioles’ Hall of Fame after playing parts of 10 seasons for the team. He hit 253 home runs and drove in 656 runs during that time, and his 2013 and 2015 seasons were among the best ever in Baltimore. In 2013, when Davis became an All-Star for the first and only time in his career, he led the majors with 53 homers and 138 RBIs. Two years later, he led the majors again with 47 homers.

Davis is joining the team’s Hall of Fame alongside former right-hander Storm Davis and former front office executive and scout Jim Russo.

Storm Davis, who is now 64, pitched six years in Baltimore with a 3.63 ERA, and he played a role in the Orioles’ 1983 World Series win. Russo, meanwhile, is this year’s Herb Armstrong Award winner. Russo died in 2004 after a career that included 33 years with the Orioles. He helped sign Jim Palmer, Davey Johnson, Boog Powell and Eddie Watt, among many other players.

The trio will be honored on the field during a ceremony Saturday, Aug. 1, before the 7:05 p.m. game against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Of course, the story of Chris Davis is not complete without the ending. During the last four seasons of his career, he accounted for negative-5.8 wins above replacement (WAR) and hit a combined .185. Between September 2018 and April 2019, Davis experienced a 0-for-54 streak.

That, coupled with the seven-year, $161 million extension he signed in 2016 with the Orioles, combined to create an ignominious ending (the club owes him money until 2037). In 2019, Davis and then-manager Brandon Hyde clashed in a dugout altercation. The losses stacked up at the beginning of a rebuild.

Davis retired following hip surgery in August 2021.

But Davis’ brilliant seasons earlier earned his place in the club’s Hall of Fame. And time has helped heal any frustration among the fanbase.

Last year, when he appeared at Camden Yards for former teammate Adam Jones’ Hall of Fame induction, Davis received loud applause.