Introducing the 2018 Boston Red Sox: Rafael Devers

The Boston Red Sox have an outstanding prospect gather all the props one would expect – Rafael Devers probably represents the future for third base.

The Boston Red Sox have – again – a “can’t miss” prospect that the various scouting resources have determined is firmly entrenched in the “can’t miss” category. I believe Lars Anderson was once a member of that club? The latest hot commodity is Rafael Devers.

Devers was handed a considerable sum of Red Sox money to have the honor of eventually becoming another from the valued Dominican pipeline to play for the team and MLB. Devers is now 19-years-old and is physically impressive at a listed 6’ and 235 pounds. I will not bother with any metric conversions.

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Devers is regarded as a third baseman and has reportedly the type of swing that scouts simply do a baseball version of Meg Ryan in a very classic “Harry Met Sally” movie scene. When trades are mentioned the other GM’s invariably bring up Devers name. Devers swings from the left side and those who have evaluated Devers have said all the positives that one would expect from an MLB top ten prospect – he simply is a mature hitter who projects to an MLB future star.

Greenville is where Devers plied his minor league apprenticeship in 2015 and Greenville was where the Sox had some substantial hitting as The Drive were among the league leaders in most offensive categories in the South Atlantic League. This was nothing new as Devers in 2014 hit in the Dominican Summer League and the Gulf Coast League with averages into the .300 range and some very respectable power.

What doth the future hold as the well know scout Willie Shakespeare once stated?

Devers is in no rush for Boston and will be treated delicately as Devers will be planted at third base in Salem in the High-A Carolina League. That will certainly be an infield worth watching with Yoan Moncada at second, slick fielding Mauricio Dubon at short and Nick Longhi at first. A continued display of hitting prowess and competent fielding and Devers could be spending half his season in Portland of the Eastern League. Devers has simply hit at every level, including a nice .279 in the Dominican Winter League.

The Red Sox may or may not have an issue at third for the next few seasons. The solution was supposed to be the signing of Pablo Sandoval, but that has migrated – so far – into another dismal black hole that has become the Red Sox third base “problem” in recent years. Other solutions such as Travis Shaw or Brock Holt could help mitigate that disaster if Pablo continues to demonstrate all the qualities of a bad contract.

The down the road solution may be at hand in 2018 with Devers in spring training. The assumption being that Devers continues along a trajectory that a Saturn V would be proud of and that appears to be more than a general consensus, but a statement of fact. Devers will be closely watched this season and even more so if the trend continues and he will be providing some hitting fireworks for the 2017 Pawtucket/Providence/Hartford/Springfield/Worcester Red Sox.

The negative is that Devers is generally considered “average” with the glove and his speed will not place him into any threats for stolen base titles, but oh that hitting!

I have long viewed scouting reports with a certain degree of skepticism but with Devers the overwhelming pronouncement is the Red Sox do indeed have a find that will be an integral part of their roster.

Next: Red Sox Craig Kimbrel Is Red Hot

Sources: Baseball America/Sox Prospects/MLB Prospect Watch