What experts are saying about Rafael Devers’s breakout potential
Rafael Devers burst onto the scene for the Red Sox last July, sending seven pitches, including a 103-mph Aroldis Chapman fastball, out of the park in his first 19 career games. The rookie third baseman cooled as the year drew to a close, but he’s expected to build on that performance in 2018.
Devers finished the 2017 campaign with 10 home runs and a .284 batting average in 222 at bats. He also finished with 14 errors. The 21-year-old recognizes that he’s not a finished product, and said, “I think with a healthy season and staying healthy throughout the season, I believe in myself and I believe I can do a lot of good things.”
With David Ortiz projecting an MVP-caliber future for the third baseman, and others calling him a “baby-faced superstar,” Devers is poised to make the leap in his second year as a pro.
Here’s what his coach, his teammates, and experts have to say about the 21-year-old:
RotoWire Staff, CBS Sports
There’s no doubting Devers will hit in the majors. He’s mashed spring pitching, slugging .735 with three homers, three doubles, a triple and eight RBI over 43 at-bats. The long-term question about Devers is his defense, and if he can prevent a move to designated hitter or first base.
Although Devers is just a 21-year-old third baseman, he’s expected to bat near the middle of the lineup during the 2018 season. He teed off on left-handers last season, hitting .400 in 50 at-bats, so it seems unlikely that he’ll yield too many starts to Eduardo Nunez against lefties. Devers slashed an impressive .284/.338/.482 in 2017 and will look to build on that performance during his second season in the major leagues.
Alex Cora, Red Sox manager
He moves well. He can make all the routine plays. He’s more athletic than people think he is. He can actually run. Defensively he moves around pretty well. At third base, he understands what people think and he knows who he is. It’s not that he’s trying to prove people wrong. But he’s doing his work. He wants to get better.
That’s what makes him so special. It’s amazing. We keep preaching stay in the zone. The smaller that strike zone gets for him, the better he’s going to be. He’s a special one.
Nick Cafardo, Boston Globe
Devers is a confident 21-year-old who knows he has conquered the challenges at every level of baseball and has proven he belongs. He might struggle for a while as he adapts, but he does adapt as well as anyone who has ever worn the Red Sox uniform at his age. For that he has earned the respect of his teammates and his elders.
What stands out about Devers is just about everything. He has bat speed, raw power, can hit high-velocity pitching, and runs decently for a big guy (6 feet, 237 pounds). Lowell was amazed how big Devers is. Devers is thick-chested and stronger than he’s ever been, and that is likely to improve.
David Ortiz, former Red Sox designated hitter
He reminds me of myself a lot. Because at that age, you come into the league all wild, just trying to have fun and get things done. And the little time that he have, he impressed me. He impressed me because he’s not into the mechanical side of the game yet. He’s just out there having fun, playing the game without an experience.
When a kid like that, a couple years from now, learns about the game and figures things out, and he’s only going to be what? 22? You’ll probably have an MVP-caliber in your lineup at 22. So I’m very excited about the things that I’m seeing coming out of him.
Jordan Shusterman, MLB.com
Devers, born Oct. 24th, 1996, will enter the 2018 season as one of the youngest players on an Opening Day roster. When the Red Sox played Northeastern a year ago, Devers was younger than every single player in the Northeastern lineup.
Devers could be a college junior, but instead will hit in the middle of the Red Sox order in 2018. The sky is the limit for the baby-faced superstar.
Christian Vasquez, Red Sox catcher
He’s still young, still learning. But he has great skills. He needs to make a couple adjustments but when he feels comfortable and in a good place he plays good.
Steve Gardner, USA Today
Devers, 21, had an amazing start to his MLB career, hitting .364 with eight homers and 16 RBI in his first 20 games. He cooled off considerably over the final 40, but his rapid rise through the minors is a testament to his ability to adapt.
Mike Lowell, former Red Sox third baseman
He gets it. Once again, at 20 you’re going to make lazy error. The thing is, most 20-year-olds are in Greensboro, North Carolina in A-ball and he’s doing it in front of a lot of people.
He’s a lot bigger than I thought. When you stand next to him, he’s big. He’s big in a good way, put together.
Christopher Smith, MassLive
Bill James, in his annual handbook, projected Devers for 30 homers, 31 doubles, three triples and 85 RBIs. Fangraphs.com ZiPS projections has Devers for 27 homers, 32 doubles, four triples and 85 RBIs. Devers belted 10 homers in 58 games as a 20-year-old rookie last season. That would be 28 homers over a 162-game average. The third baseman will slump at times during 2018. But he has elite power and should be able to continue to blast homers during these difficult stretches. Mark him down for 30.
Hanley Ramirez, Red Sox first baseman
The thing for him is, you’ve just got to let him play and relax. He’s a young guy. His mind is still a little immature. You’ve just got to let him play and don’t try to put too much pressure on him.
Dan Harris, FantasyPros
Devers is an utterly elite prospect and performed very well in his cup of coffee in the majors last year. His raw power, combined with his reasonable strikeout rate, should lead to plenty of counting stats. But Devers slowed down considerably after he set the world on fire upon his promotion, and he’s still just 21 years old. In other words, there’s likely to be some growing pains this season, and the excitement over his season last year inflates his ADP to a point where there are probably better options available.
