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Boston Red Sox Scouting Report on 3B Rafael Devers

By Benjamin Chase

Jul 12, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; World infielder Rafael Devers grabs a ground ball against the U.S. Team during the All Star Futures Game at Great American Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 12, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; World infielder Rafael Devers grabs a ground ball against the U.S. Team during the All Star Futures Game at Great American Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports /
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David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports /

After seeing a number of fellow prospects traded and the Boston Red Sox #1 prospect likely to graduate from lists after a week of the season, Rafael Devers becomes the top Red Sox prospect. What does his future hold?

Player Profile

The Boston Red Sox signed Rafael Calcano Devers out of the Dominican Republic as an international free agent for a $1.5M bonus.

Being a big-money signing with the Boston Red Sox puts a special spotlight on a prospect, but Devers came out of the gate showing he was able to handle that pressure.

In 2014, he made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League, but he was quickly promoted after less than 30 games in the DSL, moving up to the Gulf Coast League.

Combined between the two levels, Devers hit .322/.404/.506 with seven home runs and five stolen bases with an 11.59 percent walk rate and 16.56 percent strikeout rate.

His excellent debut performance was noticed by national prospect rankers, as Baseball America ranked Devers #99 in their top 100, MLB Pipeline ranked him #96 and Baseball Prospectus ranked him #90.

Devers took a big step forward in 2015, playing a full season in low-A Greenville in the South Atlantic League as an 18-year-old. He hit .288/.329/.443 with 11 home runs and three stolen bases. Devers also hit 38 doubles along with a 4.72 percent walk rate and 16.54 percent strikeout rate.

Holding his own in full-season ball rocketed Devers up the prospect rankings as he rated #18 overall by BA, #17 by MLB Pipeline and #35 by BP.

2016 was a crazy season for Devers. He played with high-A Salem as one of the youngest players in the entire Carolina League, and the Red Sox opened the season with a loaded team in Salem, with fellow major prospects Andrew Benintendi and Yoan Moncada on the team along with guys like Mauricio Dubon in one of the best lineups in the minor leagues.

Only Devers didn’t start out the season hitting like he belonged in such a lofty description. The old baseball adage is that you begin to make big changes if issues are going on once Memorial Day rolls around rang true as Devers kicked his hitting into gear a week ahead of Memorial Day.

On May 22nd, the week ahead of Memorial Day, he was hitting .180/.268/.293 with three home runs and five stolen bases. He had posted a 10.7 percent walk rate and 19.05 percent strikeout rate. His astonishing .209 BABIP indicated much better things were around the corner.

They certainly were, as Devers closed the season on a tear, hitting .326/.365/.507 with eight home runs and 13 stolen bases from May 24 through the end of the season with a 5.82 percent walk rate and 16.4 percent strikeout rate.

Overall, he hit .282/.335/.443 with 11 home runs, 18 stolen bases, 32 doubles and eight triples, posting a 7.33 percent walk rate and 17.22 percent strikeout rate.

That excellent finish to the season left Devers sitting right around the same spot he was in last season in most rankings, sitting #17 with MLB Pipeline, #18 by BA and #13 by BP.

I had Devers #15 in my top 125 prospects for Call to the Pen in January.

Next: Devers' scouting report

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