FORT MYERS, Fla. — Of the first four pitches Rafael Devers saw in his Red Sox’s Grapefruit League game against the Rays on Saturday, two went over the fence.
Devers, who according to a report reached a one-year, US$11.2 million deal, has swept the preseason so far, with three home runs, four RBIs and a .417/.462/1.167 offensive line in five games (12 at-bats). While his performance has definitely gotten Red Sox fans excited this spring, that’s just part of the process for Devers, who has been on the rise since he debuted in 2017.
The pilot of Boston, the Puerto Rican Alex Cora, indicated that this year Devers arrives with a little more.
“The way he has worked has been different; you can tell,” added the foreman. “We’ve seen how good he’s been, but now the way he carries himself, he’s first in the weight room. Everything he does, from bunts against the machine in case of a shifteven telling the boys to accompany him.
“He’s all grown up now, and it’s fun to watch. He is barely 25 years old. It is wonderful”.
Devers hit the first pitch he saw from Tampa Bay starter Corey Kluber and hit a go-ahead homer in the first. Two innings later, he needed to see just two pitches from Kluber before sending the third over the wall as well.
“That was a lot of fun,” Red Sox starter Michael Wacha said. “It is a preview of what we will see. I love what he does at third base and the home runs he hits when he’s in the lineup.”
Devers has already shown that his power matches his consistency, posting a .291 average, 81 homers, 107 doubles and 271 RBIs from 2019 to 2021. Devers started 156 games in both 2019 and 2021. , and 57 of 60 crashes in the short 2020 campaign.
For his performance last year, Devers earned his first call-up to the American League All-Star team plus the Silver Slugger. Now, it looks like the left-handed hitter is on course to continue that same pace.
It might even help Boston take the next step.
“This group has the kind of mentality as if they have an issue to resolve,” Cora stated. “We have to improve to get where we want. I know everyone thinks 2021 was a great season, but we think we fell short.
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Devers looks ready for leading role in Boston