Boston‘s 22-year-old slugger Rafael Devers has put on a show through the first half of the season. He, along with Xander Bogaerts, has been the shining light during a tough start to the Red Sox’s World Series defense. With plenty of talent at the hot corner, in the American League, the likes of Alex Bregman and Matt Chapman were favored over Rafael Devers. However, the decision not to include the Red Sox star is one that won’t go down lightly in New England. And there’ll surely be plenty of other baseball fans who’ll agree.
Rafael Devers is Deserving of an All-Star Spot
A Superstar-Like First Half
Through July 5th, Devers leads all AL third baseman in the following: runs, hits, doubles, RBI, stolen bases, batting average, slugging percentage, and OPS. He’s carried the Sox at times, slashing .331/.385/.561 for the season. He’s second in team RBI, with an astounding 61, and is Boston’s best all-around hitter on the year.
Everything he’s hitting is turning to gold, right now. On Thursday night, in Toronto, in his first plate appearance, he struck one to right-center – a shot that looked to be a pop-up at first, then a fly-out, and finally, it was over the wall. This kid is only in, what will be, his second full major league season. And he’s one of the best hitters in the game right now. If he can carry on at this level, and continue to develop on both ends, the sky is the limit for him.
Get Rafael Devers to Cleveland
He didn’t have the greatest start to the year, however, his last few months have been some of the most interesting baseball to watch. A major key to himself playing at such an elite level is his maturity. He seems to have found his game and how to manage it on a day-to-day basis early on – something that will only make him more elite going forward.
Yes, Bregman and Chapman are both having stellar seasons – what they’ve done multiple times now, as the best of the best. But Devers’ level has been different at the plate. Both choices are fair – and they’re great players on both ends – something that Devers is still working on, at least defensively. Devers trails the two chosen All-Stars in terms of going yard, but he’s produced a few more runs than both. He’s hitting on a much more consistent level than the rest of the field, and this consistency is what the youngster needs to continue, as well as bettering his game, every day – which he will.
It’s a disappointment for Boston not to have Devers in the All-Star fold, but the inclusions of Mookie Betts, J.D. Martinez and Bogaerts give the Sox plenty of representation, after a half where they, as a team, have underachieved to start to the year. There’s always a chance that Devers could potentially get the call, due to injuries. But, there’s no rush. There’ll be plenty of chances to see Rafael at this game for years down the line. It’s just incredible to see that he’s already at that caliber, and in the conversation, right now.
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