Rafael Devers just joined Mickey Mantle, Albert Pujols in this postseason record

With his 8th career postseason home run, Red Sox slugger Rafael Devers joined Mickey Mantle and Albert Pujols in the MLB record books

Rafael Devers came full circle both literally and figuratively on Wednesday night when he hit a solo home run that turned out to be the only Red Sox run of the night.

It was a bittersweet callback to his first career postseason home run, an inside-the-parker that was also hit in a futile game against the Houston Astros, Game 4 of the 2017 ALDS.

When Devers hit that inside-the-park homer four postseasons ago, he became the youngest player in MLB history to hit one in the postseason. He also joined Mickey Mantle, Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Miguel Cabrera, and Andruw Jones as the only players to homer in a postseason game before the age of 21.

It’s fitting then, that on Wednesday night, he again joined Mantle in the history books.

With his eighth career postseason home run, Devers tied Mantle, Albert Pujols, and Carlos Correa for most home runs in the postseason before turning 25.

It took Devers 25 games, beating out Correa, who needed 27 games. Mantle and Pujols both reached eight in 23 games. During the 2021 regular season, Devers needed 32 games to hit eight home runs.

Devers’ Game 5 blast was the only sign of life by the Sox offense, but it was also the farthest-hit ball of the game, going an estimated 402 feet with a 110.7 mph exit velocity.

What Rafael Devers has accomplished for the Red Sox at such a young age is incredible

Devers will turn 25 on Sunday, October 24. What he has already accomplished in his career is astounding:

• Two division titles
• A World Series
• His first All-Star game
• Leading the American League with 54 doubles in 2019 (third-most by a Sox player in a single season)
• Leading MLB with 359 total bases in 2019

Earlier this week, Stats by STATS noted that Devers was the first player in MLB history to hit for the home run cycle, as his first four home runs of the postseason were a solo shot, two-run, three-run, and a grand slam.

With five home runs in the 2021 postseason, Devers has matched David Ortiz’s single postseason high, which he set in 2004 and repeated in 2013. Kiké Hernández also matched Ortiz earlier this week. With at least one more postseason game left, Devers has a chance to surpass his mentor.

As was true when he hit his first postseason home run as a 20-year-old rookie in 2017, the sky is the limit for Devers.