Dateline: May 19, Turner Field, Atlanta, Ga.

In the top of the fifth inning, the Brewers were trailing, 3-2, when Braves left-hander Mike Minor offered a 3-1 pitch that changed Khris Davis’ season.

Having earned the left field job with an impressive final third of the year in 2013, Davis began his first full major league campaign struggling at the plate – the part of his game he knows is his biggest asset. Through his first 39 games and 156 plate appearances, he was hitting .215, slugging just .376 and had homered just once every 37.3 at-bats.

"You’re kind of searching for if it’s a mental or mechanical (issue)," Davis admitted. "That was where I was as far as the slow start."

Worse than he felt was how he looked.

It seemed as if he was out in front of the ball, trying to pull.

The slow start wasn’t anything new for Davis: he had one as he advanced to every new level of his career, from high school to college, college to pro. So he wasn’t too concerned.

And, the struggles were mitigated by the fact the team was playing well – the Brewers were 25-14 in that period – but manager Ron Roenicke and hitting coach Johnny Narron felt a discussion was in order.

"Last year he came up trying to establish himself, came in and establishing himself in a different way as an everyday player this year; so you respect that and you allow them to do what they feel like they can be successful with," Narron said. "At some point, if you recognize they need to make some adjustments, you go to him. I recognized some adjustments he may need to make with his load and his timing."

Davis more than welcomed it.

They talked about different hitters, but more importantly about his weight distribution. The right-hander likes to get his arms extended, and with evenly balanced setup it seemed his swing led to an uneven follow through, and less than desirable results.

The coaches suggested a slight change, a 60-40 weight shift to Davis’ right, or back, foot. As they talked, Roenicke noted different hitters who hit this way, but one stuck out in Davis’ mind.

"Scooter," Davis said.

"Yeah," he continued." Well, I’ve seen him hit – a lot – he’s a great hitter. He does a good job of being 60-40 with his balance, definitely."

So, Davis began the process of tinkering.

"We worked on it," Narron said. "He’s got great aptitude. He applied it. He adapted to it."
First, Davis worked in the cage, away from the field. Then, batting practice. Finally, against live pitching, when it counts.

"There was a physical surrender," Davis said of the adjustment.

That came in that specific at-bat, against Minor in Atlanta. It clicked. The result was a homerun – Davis’ fifth of the year in his 40th game.

He knew it.

"It just started working and it’s just been remaining consistent ever since," he said.

Beginning with that at-bat in Atlanta (his second of the game) nearly four months ago, Davis has hit .268 with 18 home runs and 56 runs batted in. He’s added an additional 26 doubles and a triple to slug .505, even though he’s battled a forearm injury of late.

"Having the balance a little more to a 60-40 on my side, allows me to use the right side of the field and if I pull a ball, it’s usually an off speed pitch that I’m just out in front of," he said. "Having that balance allowed me to like, find right field."

Davis kind of laughed at the memory of his early season struggles. Everyone had an opinion, but he was willing to listen to those around him, from teammates to coaches. He was willing to accept them all.

"It’s a two way street," he said. "I have to be willing to listen to what they have to say, you know? What’s going on in my mind is completely different. They have suggestions that are brilliant. That’s why they’re here. They’re around me so I could use them. So at the same time I use them more than they use me."

It’s no surprise, really, that Davis’ locked on to Gennett as a comparison.

The two have been teammates from Class A in Appleton to Milwaukee since 2010 and Gennett said the pair knows each other’s hitting style and philosophies as well as they know their own.

"I think you see someone for so long you know what works," Gennett said. "You see someone when they’re not doing good and what might be different mechanically or with their approach. Khris is a pretty simple guy. He doesn’t have a whole lot of leg kick or anything going on, so I think just communicating with guys, asking and picking their brains (was important).

"Sometimes you get to a point where you don’t even know what you’re doing. Things can get that bad, so for someone to remind you that you can hit and still play, you just have to go back to this or do that, I think that’s pretty big. We’re fortunate to have that and have that knowledge about each other."

Davis said he never lost faith in himself, that he could hit at this level.

"No, no. I knew who I was. I know I’m a weapon offensively," he said.

Then he smiled – "At least my hands are."

It just required that surrender in Atlanta.

"What I think the front office and the coaching staff here sees that I’m not too selfish to make the adjustment," he said. "They like seeing me make the adjustment. That’s just what I’ve done my whole life."