The Boston Red Sox's offense has hit a wall at the worst time, and Rafael Devers has been no exception.
The Sox are batting .242 in their last 30 games, which ranks squarely in the middle of the league during that time — now that Boston's record is back around .500, the perfectly average bats make sense. Devers is batting .216/.292/.345 in his last 30 appearances. The slugger missed some time to rest his ailing shoulders and hasn't bounced back as well as he did earlier in the season.
Devers may get lucky against the Yankees, though. Gerrit Cole is slated to start one of the final games in the arch-rivals' season series, and the two have quite a history. Cole poked fun at it himself on Sept. 10, Hispanic Heritage Day.
A reporter asked Cole which Latin hitter has done the most damage against him in his career, and before he could finish the question, Cole leaned into the microphone. He uttered "Rafael Devers," with no hesitation and a straight face.
Gerrit Cole's honesty about Rafael Devers' success against him will make Red Sox fans laugh
On Hispanic Heritage Day, Gerrit Cole was asked which Latin hitter has given him the most trouble in his career:
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) September 10, 2024
"Rafael Devers" 😂 pic.twitter.com/RAXLVIRaJj
Devers has dominated Cole, a six-time All-Star and 2023 American League Cy Young winner, for as long as he's been in the big leagues. Devers is slashing .333/.395/.974 with a 1.370 OPS with eight homers in 43 plate appearances against Cole. No other hitter has more than three home runs off him in their career.
The Red Sox have posted a surprisingly successful record against the Yankees this season and won two of their three series so far. Their final matchup of the year will be a four-game set in the Bronx, where Devers has dominated. He's hit 16 homers at Yankee Stadium in his career and has the most go-ahead homers in the Bronx in Red Sox history with 11 — keep in mind he's only 27 years old.
The Yankees are tied with two other teams for the most wins in the American League and they'll be a tough test for Boston's struggling bats. But if Devers can break out of his funk in the Bronx, as he's done many times before, the Red Sox may be able to keep their postseason dreams alive. But Devers needs his team to follow suit.