5 things to know about top Red Sox prospect Rafael Devers
After releasing Pablo Sandoval and losing out on Todd Frazier, the Red Sox have turned to minor league personnel in an effort to solve their woes at third base.
President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski announced on Sunday that the team has decided to call up Rafael Devers from Pawtucket. Devers traveled to Seattle for Boston’s three-game series against the Mariners but reportedly won’t start until Tuesday.
#RedSox have called up 20-year-old Rafael Devers. He’ll be in Seattle tomorrow. Not expected to start until Tuesday.
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) July 23, 2017
Rafael Devers all smiles on Day 1 in the big leagues. pic.twitter.com/uVvBNCT1mG
— Chad Jennings (@chadjennings22) July 24, 2017
Here are a few things to know about the 20-year-old before his major league debut:
He tore it up in Double-A.
With the Portland Sea Dogs, Devers led the team with 18 home runs, 19 doubles, and 56 RBI through 77 games. His hot bat earned the him a spot as the cleanup hitter on the Eastern League All-Star squad.
The slugger was also tapped to participate in the annual Futures Game, which pits the top minor league talent against one another over MLB All-Star weekend.
He continued to thrive in Triple-A.
Devers’ PawSox career got off to a fast start, as he went 4 for 4 with a homer and a double in his first game on July 15. In the week following his debut, he recorded 10 more hits in 35 at-bats. Overall, his nine-game stint featured a .400 batting average and .447 on-base percentage.
DEVERS DAY: Check out the highlights from Rafael Devers’ Triple-A debut last night. Devers went 4-for-4 and turned in a web gem at third. pic.twitter.com/9JQs7wrn3k
— Pawtucket Red Sox (@PawSox) July 16, 2017
While Devers’ fielding abilities exhibited high potential at times…
Anyone want to see Rafael Devers with the glove too? pic.twitter.com/BRCXI3SU8A
— Pawtucket Red Sox (@PawSox) July 16, 2017
…they simultaneously left a lot to be desired. The third baseman committed four errors, including a missed ball that skipped off his glove and another that was thrown in the dirt. His multiple infield gaffes contributed to an .810 fielding percentage, which is a stark contrast to current third baseman Deven Marrero’s .970. For reference, Sandoval had a .914 fielding percentage in his 29 games with the Sox.
Those who know him say he loves the game.
During Devers’ time with the Greenville Drive—the Single-A affiliate of the Red Sox—manager Darren Fenster lauded the youngster not only for his advanced batting skills but also for his intangibles.
“His best attribute is just his genuine love for the game, and because he loves the game so much, he loves to work,” Fenster said, via SB Nation. “His attention to all those details and his enthusiasm to work and to get better every single day, that’s just something inside of him where he’s putting himself in a great position for when it’s game time.”
His promising future hasn’t gone unnoticed by baseball analysts.
said that some scouts considered Devers to be “the best left-handed hitter on the market” in 2013, while others drew comparisons to former New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano. Some of his mentioned strengths included his balance at the plate, ability to recognize pitches, and overall attitude.
After the Dominican prospect signed with the Red Sox when he was just 17 years old, his upside only continued to grow. According to SoxProspects.com, the 6-foot, 215-pound power hitter touts an impressive level of agility in spite of his build—making him “one of the most exciting players in the system in years.”
MLB Pipeline currently ranks Devers 12th in its top 100 prospects list and slots him first amongst third basemen. ESPN’s Keith Law corroborated this optimistic evaluation by ranking him third in his list of top 50 mid-season prospects.
Dave Dombrowski thinks he’s ready to handle the challenge of the big leagues.
Devers was the only prospect included on Dombrowki’s no-trade list earlier in the season. The Red Sox president of baseball operations has hinted at the reasoning behind this decision in recent interviews.
“We think he gives us as good a chance as anybody we’ve had a chance to acquire for third base,” Dombrowski said, via The Providence Journal. “He has the hands, he has the arm. If you had your ideal scenario, you’d say just let him continue to go out and play third base and play there [in Pawtucket]. But the situation, we’re in need here, and we think he’s ready.”
Boston’s manager John Farrell added: “There are going to be some ups and downs that we’ll live with and experience. But the time has come for Devers to make his mark.”
At 20 years and 273 days old, Devers will be the youngest Red Sox position player since Luis Alvarado, who played shortstop when he was 19 years old, in 1968.
