Chris Davis to be inducted into O's Hall of Fame as part of '26 class

SARASOTA, Fla. -- The 2026 Orioles Hall of Fame class will feature the franchise's single-season home run record holder who was once among baseball's most fearsome sluggers during his prime.

Chris Davis, who hit 53 home runs for Baltimore in 2013, has been elected to the O's Hall of Fame, the team announced on Tuesday. Davis will be inducted alongside two other electees -- former Orioles right-hander Storm Davis and late front-office executive/scout Jim Russo, this year's Herb Armstrong Award winner.

The three honorees will be recognized during a luncheon hosted by the Oriole Advocates at Camden Yards on July 31. An on-field induction ceremony will take place prior to the Aug. 1 game vs. the Phillies. (First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET, and tickets can be purchased at Orioles.com/Tickets.)

Chris Davis spent the final 9 1/2 seasons of his 13-year career with the O's, who acquired the Longview, Texas, native in a trade with the Rangers on July 30, 2011. He quickly became a force in the heart of Baltimore's lineup, slugging an MLB-high 197 home runs from 2012-16, while leading the Majors in both '13 (53) and '15 (47).

Davis' 253 homers for the Orioles rank sixth in franchise history. He's one of only two O's players to hit 50 or more in a season -- along with Brady Anderson, who hit 50 in 1996 -- and is the only hitter in team history to have multiple seasons with 40-plus home runs.

The pinnacle of Davis' big league career was the 2013 season, when he not only set the Orioles record for homers, but also for RBIs (138), extra-base hits (96) and total bases (370). He earned his lone All-Star selection that year and also won the American League Silver Slugger Award at first base.

After becoming a free agent following the 2016 season, Davis signed the largest contract in O's history, agreeing to a seven-year, $161 million deal.

In 1,151 games for Baltimore, Davis posted a .233/.315/.459 slash line. He retired after playing only 16 games during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.

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Davis was a three-time Orioles nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award. He and his wife, Jill, became heavily involved in the community during their time in Baltimore, as he served as an ambassador for the University of Maryland Children’s Hospital.

Storm Davis played six of his 13 MLB seasons with the O's, spending the first five years of his career with the team from 1982-86, then returning in '92. He was primarily a starter during his first stint with the club, recording a 3.65 ERA in 154 games (121 starts). He also had a 2.45 ERA in two postseason starts in 1983, helping the Orioles win a World Series Championship.

Davis returned to Baltimore as a reliever in 1992, pitching to a 3.43 ERA in 48 games (two starts).

The Orioles' annual Scout of the Year Award is named after Russo, who died in February 2004. He began his scouting career with the St. Louis Browns in 1951, staying with the team when it relocated to Baltimore in '54.

Russo, a World War II Army veteran, spent 36 years with the franchise, retiring after the 1986 season. He became a special assistant to the general manager in '66, primarily serving as an advance scout.

As a scout, Russo helped sign Hall of Famer Jim Palmer, Davey Johnson, Boog Powell and others.