For Boston, Rafael Devers is already a key component to what this ball club is doing. Now, he’s evolving into one of the Red Sox’s most important players.
In what will be just his second full season in the majors, Rafael Devers is slowly but surely evolving into one of the most valuable of players for the Boston Red Sox.
On a team stacked with league-leading talent, the 22-year-old third baseman has persevered in an environment that was perfect for him to come into. Coming off the back of a World Series championship, many questioned if this level of performance was sustainable. For Devers, it definitely has been.
Devers has been lights out at the plate for the Sox so far this season. While he didn’t hit his first home run until the first week of May, he was still a reliable spot in the line up when it came to putting the ball in play. He’s a force in the middle of Boston’s order. Devers has shown that his power isn’t an issue by recording six homers in the month of May, thus far, including a three-game homer streak in Toronto against the Blue Jays this past week.
As of Friday, Devers is also tied third (with J.D. Martinez) for team RBI, with 29 to his name. 21 of those RBI came in the month of May – that’s six homers and 21 RBI for Devers for the month, and we still have a week left to play.
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With an increasing batting average of .317, Devers has made plenty of noise for the Red Sox in 2019. He’s been one of the main driving forces in getting them back to .500, and beyond. He also headlines Boston’s younger core – which will be pivotal in thing going forward.
Whilst there’s so much veteran talent on this squad that’ll cause plenty to think about in terms of the payroll, the likes of Devers and Michael Chavis give the Sox a strong basis for years into the future. This duo’s ability is so important for a team that has been criticized about their farm system at many different points. Devers can become a leader for this side, and the fact that he’s one of the key players right now, at 22-years-old, is such a positive.
Really, there are no doubts over what Rafael can do with the bat. And, hopefully, this is just the beginning to his talents that we’re seeing. However, his defensive side of the game has still been an obstacle for both him and the Sox. Already committing nine errors from the hot corner, Devers has endured some troubles, but this was expected. While he has made mistakes, he’s showing plenty of signs that he can eventually become a decent defender and he’s more than made up for anything that’s gone wrong in the field at the plate.
Playing in all fifty of the Sox’s games so far, Devers has established himself as a clear everyday player. After sharing playing time at third last year, Devers’ bat has proved to be too important to leave out of the line up literally every night. Don’t expect this to change anytime soon, as the young slugger will carry on getting better, and he’s already pretty good right now.