Red Sox slugger Rafael Devers so good, he’s now calling his own shots

Boston Red Sox slugger Rafael Devers is special, and he made no doubt about that in the team’s 8-3 win over the Chicago Cubs Friday night.

In hitting two of the team’s six homers at Wrigley Field, a refreshed Devers not only got that MLB All-Star snub out of his system, he also called his own shot at the plate.

Is he getting that good at the plate?  Well, teammate and Friday night’s winning pitcher Brayan Bello told the media following the game that Devers predicted he would hit two homers. 

When asked about the prediction, the Red Sox slugger said he was just joking. So he says.

"Yesterday, we’re traveling together, and I had a lot of days off,” Devers said, via MLB.com. “And we’re just on the plane and having fun laughing, and I kind of jokingly said that I would hit two homers today. It ended up happening."

Boston Red Sox, Rafael Devers soaring at the right time

In helping the Sox extend their winning streak to six games, Devers lighthearted prediction ended up with him hitting a homer in his first two at-bats.  The left-handed power hitting third baseman, who said he was recharged due to the long break, started the night with this blast:

Yes, it’s Raffy’s world and we are just living in it.  The solo shot started the homerun derby at Wrigley Field as Adam Duvall, Justin Turner, Triston Casas and Yu Chang all launched rockets.

With Bello doing his things on the mound, it was great to see the Red Sox offense continue where they left off heading into the All-Star break.  It was even more satisfying watching Devers launch bombs, especially after not receiver what he called a “big honor” of playing in the All-Star Game.

But he keeps this up and predicting his own homeruns, he will play in plenty of those.  Cubs rightly Kyle Hendricks would certainly agree and so would many pitchers Devers has terrorized since entering the league.  Now with 22 homers on the season, Devers is taking the All-Star snub in stride, which is also a mature approach from a young, surging star.

"My mindset ever since the beginning has always been that everything happens for a reason, “Devers said when asked about the snub. “If I didn’t get picked, I knew it was for a reason. And if I would have gotten picked, then I would have obviously been happy and honored to go. But I turned the page. I don’t think too much about it."

In turning the page, the Boston Red Sox as a team now turn their sights on making the playoffs.  Despite being now tied fourth place in the America League East, Devers and the Sox are just a couple games behind in the race for the last Wild Card spot.

With the MLB Trade Deadline approaching, it looks like the Boston Red Sox will buyers to get more help for that monster bat of Rafael Devers.