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Red Sox: Ranking Boston’s Most Valuable Player chances for next season

By Rick McNair

BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 4, 1967: Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox attempts to catch a fly ball during game one of the 1967 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals on October 4, 1967 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Dennis Brearley/Boston Red Sox)
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 4, 1967: Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox attempts to catch a fly ball during game one of the 1967 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals on October 4, 1967 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Dennis Brearley/Boston Red Sox) /
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BOSTON, MA – SEPTEMBER 23: Rafael Devers #11 of the Boston Red Sox bats in the fifth inning of a game giants the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park on September 23, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – SEPTEMBER 23: Rafael Devers #11 of the Boston Red Sox bats in the fifth inning of a game giants the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park on September 23, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /

Rafael Devers’ MVP chances are bat connected

When discussing Rafael Devers let’s get the negative out of the way and that starts as soon as a ball is hit to Devers at third base. In 2020 the -10.6 UZR/150 was a crash from 2.4 UZR/150 in 2019 that showed Devers is not necessarily an embarrassment. A career -35 DRS does not give comfort to pitchers nor does the consistently high ranking on errors. The nugget of positive is Devers is capable of making sparking plays and 2019 gave insight into Devers not being Butch Hobson redux.

In 2020 Devers did what Devers does – start slow.  Devers starts the season as a tortoise and finishes as a hare. But I will drift back to 2019 when Devers simply crushed the ball.  Yes, we know sometimes his strike zone is peculiar, but when Devers is on his hitting is ferocious. Exit velocity is exceptional, power is elite, and run production is among the best.

In 2019 the left-hand hitter led the AL in doubles with 54 and in total bases with 359. Home runs totaled 32 and the run production was exceptional with 115 RBI and 129 runs scored. Devers’ 5.9 fWAR and 132 wRC+ trailed Mookie Betts and Bogaerts for the team lead. At 24-years-old the learning curve is still in place for Devers.

Devers’ chances for piling up votes will rest on his bat and that means not getting out of the starting gate like a sloth. Devers also will have a lineup that can hit and potentially that could mean run production chances. Another factor that could weigh-in is the return of Alex Cora as manager. Cora apparently is a svengali of sorts to Devers especially in Devers’ handling of the strike zone. To push out Bogaerts will mean a season with the bat for Devers that will have to be up in lights.

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