Boston Red Sox Slugger Rafael Devers Completes Historic Turnaround at the Plate

Through the first few days of the 2025 regular season, Rafael Devers was one of the least productive players across MLB.
The Boston Red Sox star went 0-for-19 across his first five games, striking out a whopping 15 times. Despite being a three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger, Devers was having a tough time transitioning from an everyday third baseman to a full-time designated hitter.
Over the ensuing five games, however, Devers got plenty comfortable in his new role.
Devers finally got his first hit versus the Baltimore Orioles on April 2, and he has been on a roll ever since. He went a combined 5-for-8 in the Red Sox's doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday, blasting his first homer of the season in the fifth inning of game one.
Dating back to last Wednesday, Devers is 10-for-19 with seven RBIs and eight runs. He is now batting .263 with an .825 OPS on the year, both of which are marks that seemed unfathomable just a few days earlier.
According to OptaSTATS, Devers is the only MLB player in the modern era to go hitless with 15-plus strikeouts over a five-game span, then follow that up with 10-plus hits over his next five games.
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
Devers hit .272 with an .871 OPS in 2024, so the 28-year-old isn't far off his normal pace anymore. He is in the second season of a 10-year, $313.5 million contract extension, after all, so Boston better hope that Devers' slump is actually behind him.
The Red Sox, who are 5-0 since Devers got his groove back, open a series with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday. Game one is scheduled to get underway at 6:45 p.m. ET.
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