Red Sox News: Rafael Devers wins his first-ever Silver Slugger Award

Red Sox superstar Rafael Devers is now a Silver Slugger

If you ask any member of this Red Sox squad what they’re rather be adding to their mantle I guarantee everyone would say the Commissioner’s Trophy. Unfortunately, the Cinderella story had to come to an end as Boston’s carriage turned back into a pumpkin in the ALCS. While this season was far better than anyone expected back in spring, one man did exactly what we expect him to do and that’s Rafael Devers.

I lost track of how many different records Raffy either tied or broke this past year in both the regular season and in October. The kid, and as someone nearly a decade older than him I can say that, is a damn superhero that we don’t deserve.

Healthy, injured, hot, cold, it didn’t matter in 2021, Devers found a way to contribute to Boston’s efforts. Thanks to the hard work he was nominated alongside Xander Bogaerts and Hunter Renfroe for the Silver Slugger Award.

Seriously though, Raffy has himself alongside some of the most legendary names of the game and he’s only getting better with each passing day. Those efforts weren’t wasted as it’s now official, Rafael Devers is a Silver Slugger. It’s an honor for the best hitter at their given position and one that was rightfully earned by Big Scoops after a season that proved he could be a force in this sport.

What he does in the batter’s box has never been in question, though his defense can raise your blood pressure in a nanosecond. For now, it looks as if the Red Sox will continue to run him out at third but with J.D. Martinez being in the final year of his contract, a home at D.H. could be in his future.

If Raffy were to become the designated hitter and would no longer have to focus on his defense, things could get scary in a damn hurry, and I don’t mean for Boston.

This past season he posted an insane .279/.352/.538 line with a career-high 38 homers and a near career-high 113 RBI. Devers had a fantastic regular season but he really came alive as the postseason approached.

An arm injury would cause him extreme pain anytime he would swing and miss which forced him to become more patient at the plate. Great news for the Red Sox and bad news for the opposing pitcher.

Knowing how much pain he’d be in if he went for Lansdowne and missed he would wait for his pitch and THEN smash it to the bullpen. His patience took what was already a pretty strong clutch gene and hit it with those Gamma Rays. Raffy went from Bruce Banner to the Hulk and would propel Boston to within two games of the World Series. I fully look forward to him being healthy again in 2022 and adding more silverware to his mantle.

The future is beyond bright for Devers and with more options opening up for him in the lineup he can become even more dangerous. I expect an extension in the very near future for the young star that would see him play with the Red Sox for the foreseeable future. I can’t wait to see what he does next and with so much of his career still ahead of him, I don’t think this is the last time we’ll see his name during award season.