With the news that Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez is helping Rafael Devers at the plate, how will this translate to his stats?
With spring training rolling along, all eyes are on the young core of Boston Red Sox players and how they can build on their 2018 championship run. One player to watch is third baseman Rafael Devers.
Devers showed flashes of pure raw power at times last season but the coaches and fans alike would like to see more consistency at the plate in 2019. While shedding a few pounds during the offseason, how will he improve in 2019? What can he do to get better? Enter J.D. Martinez.
As we all know, Martinez is the type of player who never stops learning about his craft. He is constantly taking notes about opposing pitchers and recording/analyzing his batting practice swings before each game. He is truly one who always wants to find ways to improve his game. Will doing the same with Devers help him out?
"“Devers is a natural hitter,” Martinez told the Boston Herald’s Jason Mastrodonato. “He’s always been a natural. He doesn’t play well when he thinks. You just have to guide him in the right direction and he’ll get it.”"
That’s a huge endorsement from one of the game’s best hitters. One of the biggest flaws Martinez sees with Devers so far is his lack of ability to take a pitch.
"“Before it was like, ‘What are you doing, what are you working on?’ ‘Nothing, just hitting.’ ‘Well, OK, let’s talk.’ But when you’re young you’re just trying to hit,” said Martinez."
Martinez has noticed that Devers is slowly maturing and with that comes realizing when you need to listen and ask questions. J.D. is the guy anyone on the team can go to and ask questions on how to improve offensively.
It was noted last season that Martinez saw an error with outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr.’s swing. After some time and effort, it actually made Bradley a better hitter in the playoffs, notably winning ALCS MVP due to his offensive heroics. Jackie must have taken to the advice, as his swing looks smoother than ever while seeming to be more consistent, but time will tell as the long season has just begun.
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Let’s run some numbers with Devers. In 672 career at-bats ( spanning to 179 career games), he sports a .254 batting average, with 31 homers and 96 RBI, while tallying 171 hits and an on-base percentage of .311. While these numbers don’t seem terrific, they actually don’t tell the entire story.
Who can forget the admirable start he had in 2017? While also crushing fans at Yankee stadium by hitting a go-ahead home run to dead center field off closer Aroldis Chapman. As I said, he does have cold streaks, but he’s only 22 years old. While playing third base for the defending World Champs in one of the closest divisions each year. He will get better over time, and most fans don’t recognize the developmental points he missed in AAA.
One of the things the duo should look for is launch angle, which has been a key in the offense since Alex Cora arrived in Boston. It is a key reason they hit 208 team home runs in 2018 compared to 168 in 2017. Rafael Devers should be able to make these adjustments, while also working on his defensive woes as well.
With all of this to consider, it will obviously be a process to watch all of this unfold. While having a short-lived minor league career, there is plenty of time to develop Rafael Devers the way the Red Sox need him to play. With the help of Martinez, the journey has already begun, and thus, we will have the finished product sooner than you think!