As the 2026 season approaches, the Baltimore Orioles have added to the anticipation by announcing the organization’s newest Hall of Fame class.
This year’s group — right-hander Storm Davis, slugger Chris Davis and longtime scout and executive Jim Russo — each left a lasting impact on the franchise in very different ways.
Let’s take a look at what each individual did throughout their careers and how they left their mark on the franchise that helped catapult them into Baltimore immortality.
STORM DAVIS
Davis spent six seasons with Baltimore, primarily as a starter from 1982–86 before returning briefly as a reliever in 1992. Across 202 appearances (123 starts), he compiled a 61–43 record with a 3.63 ERA and five saves over 944.1 innings of work, striking out 539 hitters.
His breakout came in 1983, when the then-21-year-old went 13–7 with a 3.59 ERA across 200 innings. That season, he played a key role in Baltimore’s championship run, clinching the American League pennant with a victory in Game 4 of the ALCS and earning the win in Game 4 of the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Davis still ranks sixth in Orioles history with a .587 winning percentage and eighth with a 3.63 ERA among pitchers with at least 900 innings.
CHRIS DAVIS
Few sluggers in franchise history matched the power peak Davis delivered during his time in Baltimore. Though his career ended with struggles, his production from 2012–16 helped define an era of Orioles baseball.
During that five-year stretch, Davis led the majors with 197 home runs. His 2013 campaign remains one of the best power seasons in team history: 53 home runs, 138 RBIs, 96 extra-base hits and 370 total bases, earning a Silver Slugger Award and a starting nod in the 2013 MLB All-Star Game. He also became the first Orioles player with multiple 40-home-run seasons.
Davis led the league with 47 home runs in 2015 and was named Most Valuable Oriole twice in his career (2013, 2015). Off the field, he was also the club’s nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award three times for his charitable work.
Over 10 seasons with Baltimore (2011–20), Davis hit .230/.318/.459 with 253 home runs and 656 RBIs in 1,151 games. His 11 home runs onto Eutaw Street remain the most in the history of Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
JIM RUSSO (Scout/Executive)
Russo’s impact on the organization spanned decades. He began his career as a scout for the St. Louis Browns in 1951 and remained with the franchise when it moved to Baltimore in 1954. He spent 36 years with the organization — 33 as an Orioles scout — before retiring after the 1986 season.
Russo played a role in signing several cornerstone players, including Jim Palmer, Boog Powell, Davey Johnson and Eddie Watt. He also helped identify or draft key contributors such as Mark Belanger, Mike Flanagan, Bobby Grich, Rich Dauer and Mike DeCinces.
His influence extended to player acquisitions as well, helping recommend trades that brought stars like Frank Robinson, Mike Cuellar, Lee May, Ross Grimsley and Ken Singleton to Baltimore.
In 1966, Russo served as a special assistant to the general manager and provided advanced scouting reports on the Los Angeles Dodgers ahead of the 1966 World Series — preparation widely credited as a factor in Baltimore’s four-game sweep and first championship.
The organization continues to honor his legacy with the Jim Russo Scout of the Year Award, established in 2003. Russo passed away in 2004.
Each inductee shaped Orioles history in a different way — on the mound, in the batter’s box or behind the scenes. Together, their contributions helped build moments that still resonate across Birdland, ensuring their place in Baltimore baseball history.
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