BOSTON — Since the first week of spring training, the focus on Rafael Devers has been squarely on what he wouldn’t do.
First, he wouldn’t surrender third base and take over DH duties, until eventually, he did.
Next, he pushed back on a query from the club about giving first base a try. That stance hasn’t softened in the last three weeks and isn’t likely to change. He wasn’t dissuaded when John Henry flew halfway across the country to talk to him.
The fact that the Red Sox are turning to Kristian Campbell is further proof of that; if they believed there was a chance of Devers relenting, it’s unlikely that Campbell would be enlisted in the first place.
But with a third of the season almost done, perhaps it’s time to change the conversation and lock in on what Devers has done.
What he’s done, in short, has been remarkable, a point nicely encapsulated by his performance in the Red Sox’ first game of Friday’s day-night doubleheader with Baltimore.
In the Sox’ 19-5 romp, Devers hit two homers — one a three-run shot, the other a grand slam — and added a run-scoring single, achieving a career-best eight RBI. The eight RBI are the most for a Red Sox player since Mookie Betts knocked in eight on July 2, 2017.
Over the last six games, he’s belted five homers (including two grand slams), and in the process, passed Rico Petrocelli to move into 10th place on the Red Sox’ all-time career homers list with 212.
He’s reached base in 24 of his last 25 games, during which he hit .406 with 10 homers and 33 RBI. He leads the league in walks and RBI and is ranked in Top 5 in OBP, OPS, doubles, total bases and extra-base hits.
You name it, and he’s doing it. Except for….well, you know.
“At one point, you look up (and look at the video scoreboard) and you’re like, ‘Oh, shoot…this is happening,’ ‘’ said Alex Cora of the gaudy numbers being produced by Devers. ”I told (Rob Refsnyder), ‘Man, he was (0-for-19) with 15 strikeouts, and everybody was jumping off the roof of the building and (saying) he has to play third for him to hit’ and all that.
“The guy hits. He hits. He’s been hitting since 2017. There’s a reason they called him up that year. Was he prepared to play third base at this level? Probably not. But they needed his bat and that bat has spoken loud and clear since he got here. He’s made an impact in this organization. And you keep looking at the numbers — now he’s 10th in home runs and the RBI are creeping up. He’s having an outstanding season.”
Indeed he his. The only DH in Major League Baseball with a higher WAR is the incomparable Shohei Ohtani.
Whatever routine he needed to develop to thrive as a DH, he’s evidently found. And whatever adjustments he needed to make in the box, he’s successfully made. Ask opposing pitchers.
“He keeps working at it,” said Cora. “There were some flaws early on. Spring training wasn’t perfect, We know that. But little by little, he’s been building his swing. And against lefties, he’s been amazing. He’s doing damage against them.”
Indeed, after Game 1, Devers had 20 base hits against southpaws, the most for any lefty hitter in the American League. If there was obvious flaw to his offensive game, it was his inability to connect off lefties; last year, he had a .686 OPS against them, exactly 300 points lower than his OPS figure against righties.
Now that Devers has proven conclusively that he can handle the DH role, it’s only a matter of time before the comparisons to another lefthanded DH begin.
Devers does not yet have a reputation equal to that of David Ortiz, and there’s a reason for that. Although he’s performed well in the postseason (a career .955 OPS with 26 RBI in 26 game to go with eight homers), he hasn’t had the volume of postseason opportunities that Ortiz did.
Ortiz once took part in the postseason eight times in 12 seasons; through no fault of his own, Devers has taken part just three times in eight years.
Maybe that will change this year and Devers will get that additional chances for a Big October Moment that came to define Ortiz.
Even if he doesn’t, a reappraisal is due with Devers. He may not be the most selfless teammate or the most glib.
But as Friday afternoon reminded us, there are few more pure, productive hitters in the game.
He may not be volunteering to play elsewhere, but in the batter’s box, there can be no complaints.
