There is a tendency to believe that the sky is falling during the first week and change of a new MLB season. If a team performs well, they're "destined" to win the World Series. If a club struggles, they are immediately dismissed.
The same reactions follow individual players — perhaps to an even further degree — and Boston Red Sox All-Star Rafael Devers just proved why such hasty conclusions are deceiving. After a sluggish start to the campaign, the 28-year-old has come roaring back at the plate.
Devers' recent run of success could be due to greater comfort as a DH, or it may simply be a product of a late spring start finally evening out for a veteran player. In any event, his first home run of the year, a solo shot, was a sure sign that the Sanchez native is almost back to form.
Rafael Devers goes over The Monster for his first homer of the season. pic.twitter.com/0dX7BWv3SY
— MLB (@MLB) April 6, 2025
Rafael Devers wakes up as Red Sox fans take a sigh of relief
“We’re getting there,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Devers following a 5-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in early April. “The at-bats are really good. They’ve been really good for a while now. He hasn’t been swinging and missing, he’s not chasing, and he’s staying in the zone. Little by little, the swing is back to normal. That was impressive.”
The long ball came amidst a 1-4 day at the plate that also included a clutch walk that tied the game in the bottom of the ninth. This showing was swiftly followed by a 4-4 performance in the second game of a double-header against St. Louis. Devers collected 3 RBIs as Boston earned a dominant 18-7 victory.
All of this has followed what was an atrocious start for the two-time Silver Slugger. Devers began the season 0-19 and struck out a record 15 times during this initial five game stretch. According to OptaStats, he is now the only player in the modern era to go hitless with 15+ strikeouts over a five-game period, and then collect 10+ hits over the following five contests.
Rafael Devers of the @RedSox is the only MLB player in the modern era to go hitless with 15+ strikeouts over a 5-game span but then get 10+ hits over his next 5 games. pic.twitter.com/kKVWfvn2Ym
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) April 7, 2025
According to Baseball Savant, Devers currently ranks in the 99th percentile in Hard-Hit% and the 94th percentile in Chase%. While his strikeout rate and bat speed still leave something to be desired, these marks are more than likely remnants of his lackluster start, rather than an indication of his current trajectory.
Devers and the Red Sox dealt with a great deal of commotion after the team signed third baseman Alex Bregman. The noise caused many to suggest that Devers' slump was caused by lingering unhappiness. But, a strong opening series at Fenway park has silenced these whispers.
Alex Bregman is off to a torrid start in a Red Sox uniform. Wilyer Abreu looks like the second coming of the Bambino. Top prospect Kristian Campbell is making his $60 million extension look like a bargain. A locked and loaded Devers could turn Boston's lineup into the American League's fiercest.
Well, it just so happens that Raffy is raking again, and it could be the start of a fun summer in Beantown.