Boston Red Sox slugger Rafael Devers didn’t get an All-Star nod, but the young third baseman is a star on the rise.
While the Boston Red Sox continue to experience an up and down season prior to the All-Star break, one of the few bright spots has been the rise of young third baseman Rafael Devers.
After a slow start in 2019, the 22-year-old former top Red Sox prospect has been on a tear. He has turned around early struggles at the plate into offensive numbers that should’ve powered him into his first All-Star nod.
With a .322 batting average, 17 homers and 66 RBI, the snub of Devers is highly noted especially since he ranks high amongst American League hitters (All-Star break rankings) when it comes to the major offensive categories including batting average (2nd), OBP (10th), slugging (3rd), and OPS (4th). Amongst third basemen in the league, those rankings are even higher. In those major categories, Rafael Devers is ranked either first or second in the AL.
While it’s obvious the Red Sox rising star has been overlooked in 2019, his growth and continued development should be both applauded and celebrated. It is also scary that he is just 22 and showcasing how much of a complete player he can be.
In the opinion of teammate J.D. Martinez, the young Devers is already one of the best players in all of baseball.
"“He’s one of the best players in the league right now and he’s 22,” Martinez told the Boston Globe, via NESN. “He doesn’t have to worry about one All-Star Game.”"
If he keeps playing like this, there will be many All-Star appearances for Rafael Devers, which brings us to three reasons why the Boston Red Sox third baseman is the real deal.
The “clutch” gene
Rafael Devers has gone through some slumps at the plate during his young MLB career, but he has had the “clutch” gene since the first month he was brought up to the big club back in the late summer of 2017.
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Off to a fast start, Devers became the only Boston Red Sox batter to record a hit in 17 of his first 20 games with the team. During a time when the lineup was looking for an energy jolt, the young third base phenom delivered exactly that.
He hit .286 with 17 RBI that first month, but showed he had a little David Ortiz in him when he launched two clutch homers in a series against the New York Yankees.
Described by a “unique talent” by then Red Sox manager John Farrell, Rafael Devers later showed off his fearlessness at the plate in the team’s Divisional loss to the Houston Astros.
That proved to be much needed experience for the Boston Red Sox third baseman who further displayed a little Big Papi with a clutch, pinch-hit RBI single in Game 4 of 2018 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In 2019, Rafael Devers continues to be clutch at the plate with numerous multi-RBI games and go-ahead homers. At just 23 years old, the young slugger is quickly defining his own legacy in the major leagues.
He’s got the power
After getting off to a slow start in 2019, Rafael Devers has certainly found his power surge and using it in a timely fashion.
During a three-game stretch back in May, Devers became part of an exclusive club of young Red Sox sluggers who have homered in three consecutive games. Joining such greats as Ted Williams, Babe Ruth and Carl Yastrzemski, the Red Sox third baseman is setting himself apart at such an early age and it seems to be just the beginning for the budding star.
While Devers did not get an All-Star nod in 2019, he has been an All-Star performer for the Boston Red Sox. Often, delivering key hits and home runs in key situations, the 22-year-old slugger is showing that he has no fear and locks in at the biggest of moments.
As a contact hitter with a lot of pop in his bat, Devers’ star is just starting to shine. He may not be a player who launches 30+ homers a season, but he is proving to be a game-changer every time he steps to the plate, especially in key situations.
He has already done it a few times in his young career.
He has gotten defensive
One of the knocks on Rafael Devers was his play in the field.
This season, those defensive struggles have continued as he led the team in errors. A cause for concern, Devers has recognized becoming a compete player involves improving in the field and that has been his focus.
"“It’s an area that I’ve been working on consistently,” Devers told The Boston Globe back in May, via NESN. “I have to be a complete player and I’m just trying to improve on that side of the game, as well.”"
Since committing 10 errors in the first 31 games, Devers has improved and turned things around in the field. In the last 55 games (prior to the series vs. Toronto Blue Jays), the Red Sox third baseman has committed just three errors and leads all AL third baseman with a (.980) fielding percentage. It is certainly a trend he needs to maintain, but his improved defense since the beginning of May is complementing his offensive output and turning him into the complete player he yearns to be.
At just 22 years of age, the offense and defense will just get better which only means good things for the Boston Red Sox in the future. In the midst of a breakout season, one of their top prospects is turning into MLB’s rising star.