Now that Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis has come back to earth after a scorching start to a season, it is time to look back on one of the best beginnings to a year in the history of baseball.
Davis' home run streak puts him in elite company, and his 16 RBIs through four games is unheard of.
But how does Davis' hot start compare to other athletes across all sports? In this slideshow we examine some of the best beginnings to a season by all sorts of pros.
The Best Individual Starts To Seasons Slideshow
Chris Davis, 2013
Davis made history when he went yard in the Orioles' first four games of the season. Only Willie Mays, Mark McGwire and Nelson Cruz had accomplished that feat. Davis' 16 RBIs were the most through a team's first four games since RBIs became a stat in 1920.
LeBron James, 2011-12
Coming off a loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the Finals in 2011, James came out more motivated than ever. Through 20 games, he averaged 29.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.1 assists. His PER was at a sky-high 33.4, which, had he carried that out through the season, would have been the best ever.
Wayne Gretzky, 1985-86
The Great One had a magnificent start to the 1985-1986 season, which is perhaps the best in hockey history. By the All-Star break, Gretzky led the league with 54 goals and 99 assists. To put that in perspective, the NHL's MVP last year, Evgeni Malkin, had 50 goals and 59 assists for the entire season.
Fernando Valenzuela, 1981
Valenzuela came out of nowhere to captivate the nation in his first full year in the big leagues. The southpaw won his first eight games, going the distance in each one, while only surrendering a total of three earned runs.
Novak Djokovic, 2011
The Djoker started the 2011 season on fire. He tore through the French Open and won 41 consecutive matches before falling to Roger Federrer in the semi-finals of the French Open.
Patrick Marleau, 2013
Earlier this year, San Jose Sharks center Marleau became just the second player to start the season with four consecutive multi-goal games.
Martina Navratilova, 1984
Navratilova reeled off a 74-match winning streak in 1984, spanning from February to December. It included straight set wins in the finals at the French Open and Wimbledon and a three-setter at the US Open.
O.J. Simpson, 1973
Simpson's historic 1973 season started with five straight 100-yard rushing games. In total he tallied six touchdowns and 813 yards in the Bills' first five games. He became the first to break the 2,000-yard mark in a single season.
Byron Nelson, 1945
Nelson finished first or second in his first eight tournaments of 1945, and that's hardly his most impressive line from that year. After that streak, he went on to win 11 consecutive tournaments.
Pedro Martinez, 2000
In his first eight games of the 2000 season, Martinez allowed a total of six earned runs. He won seven of those eight games and averaged 11 strikeouts per game. The only start he lost during that streak was against Tampa Bay, a day in which he pitched a complete game and struck out a season-high 17 batters.
