Boston Red Sox: 4 players attacking 2021 MLB season with vengeance

Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers striving to be better defensively

It is hard to tell how the 2020 MLB season would’ve ended if it was a full season, but in a 60-game sample, Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers had a disappointing season more defensively than he did offensively.

Although he did struggle at the plate to start the season, Devers started to show some of that impact with his swing that catapulted his breakout season in 2019.

Overall, he batted .263 which was down from his .311 mark in 2019.  He launched 11 homers and knocked in 43 RBI which put him at the pace to at least come close to matching his numbers from the year prior.

So, offense wasn’t the problem for Devers.

Where he took a step back is in the field where he accounted for 14 errors.  Although he played through an ankle injury, that is unacceptable for a player striving to be one of the best if not the best third baseman in the game.

In 2021, Devers is out to improve on his miscues and take a step forward in improving his overall defensive game.

"“Obviously, the errors are an issue and that’s something I’m always working on and trying to avoid as much as I can going into this season,” Devers told reporters Wednesday, as transcribed by NESN.  “I’ve been working hard.  The offseason, I spent a lot (of time) training, and something I really wanted to improve on was my defense.”"

Will the hard work pay off?

As a player who continues to improve, it’s a sure bet Rafael Devers will be a lot better defensively.  If he limits the mistakes on the diamond, it will make his offensive game just that much better as he will be more focused on the mound.

In all, a motivated Devers is a very good thing for the Boston Red Sox.