Glenn Davis (baseball) - Houston Astros

Houston Astros

Davis soon developed into one of the top power hitting prospects in the Astros' farm system, hitting 71 home runs before receiving his first call up to the majors in September 1984. In his first full season, 1985, Davis batted .271 with twenty home runs and 64 runs batted in to finish fifth in National League rookie of the year balloting.

Davis had a break out season in 1986. He had sixty RBIs and twenty home runs at the All-Star break to make his first All-Star team. For the season, he clubbed 31 home runs, and had 101 RBIs with a .265 batting average to win the Silver Slugger award at first base, and finish second to the Philadelphia Phillies' Mike Schmidt in NL MVP voting.

The Astros handily won the National League West by ten games over the Cincinnati Reds to face the New York Mets in the 1986 National League Championship Series. The only scoring in the game one pitchers' duel between Mike Scott and Dwight Gooden was a solo home run by Davis in the second inning, which he hit is his first ever postseason at-bat. From there, Mets pitching would contain Davis until the classic game six extra innings marathon. Davis went three-for-seven with a run scored and two RBIs, including the final run of the game as the Astros attempted to come back from a 7–4 deficit in the 16th inning.

Davis remained one of the top sluggers in the NL through 1989, earning a second All-Star selection in 1989, and finishing in the top ten in MVP voting in 1988 and 1989. In the 1990 season opener, Cincinnati Reds pitchers hit Davis with pitches in three of his six plate appearances. He hit three home runs in a loss to the San Francisco Giants on June 1, however, a rib injury cause Davis to miss the entire month of July, and limited him to just 93 games all season. Despite his limited time on the field, Davis still managed to put up respectable numbers, hitting 22 home runs and driving in 64, In '89, becoming the first Astro to hit at least 20 home runs in five consecutive seasons. Davis still ranks fifth all-time in Astros career home run leaders.

In the offseason, he was part of what many consider to be worst trade in Baltimore Orioles history when he was traded to the Orioles for three future All-Stars, Steve Finley, Pete Harnisch and Curt Schilling. After the trade Davis signed a then club record $3.275 million, one-year contract with the Orioles.