Chris Davis suspension will have little impact on Baltimore's playoff success

Though Chris Davis was an integral part to Baltimore's success last season, his suspension will have very little impact on their playoff success this year.

The Orioles have spent the better part of this season relying on their offense to get them through games, while having just enough pitching to secure leads and eke out victories. And Chris Davis certainly has been a piece of that offense: his 26 HRs are second on the team, and his 72 RBI put him third behind Nelson Cruz and Adam Jones.

But therein lies the total summation of Chris Davis' offensive contributions. His triple slash is .196/.300/.404, and his wRC+ of 93 puts him ninth on the team (minimum of 150 plate appearances) behind Caleb Joseph. His defense is marginally acceptable to an outright hindrance, which has resulted in him being worth just 0.4 Wins Above Replacement, according to FanGraphs.

Suffice to say, a player with such marginal contributions, all things considered, is not going to be particularly missed in October. Sure, Davis is a threat to hit a home run which, in a five-game series, can make a difference in a game. Baltimore still has Adam Jones and Nelson Cruz, who both hit for power while also getting on base. Steve Pearce, who is likely to replace Davis at first base, is hitting .287/.360/.523 in 336 plate appearances. He is also a supreme defensive upgrade, whether he plays in left field or at first.

Though the Orioles might miss out on a home run or two, there is a lot of evidence to suggest that this suspension may end up being addition by subtraction for Baltimore. Regardless of what you think about the use of Adderall, or other substances that may or may not give players a performance edge, the fact is that the Orioles are built to get by without Davis, and moreover they might be better off without him.