How Devers is filling some Big shoes for Sox

A left-handed slugger with a smile that is as big as his swing. A Dominican-born player who loves the atmosphere of playing in Boston. A player who has constant give-and-take with his teammates, often causing laughter within the walls of the clubhouse.

That is Rafael Devers, who is 25 years old and starting his second consecutive All-Star Game.

• MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard: Tuesday on FOX

Once upon a time, it was David Ortiz.

Could Devers reach Big Papi-like stature with the Red Sox?

The third baseman -- who will be joined by teammates Xander Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez in Los Angeles for All-Star festivities -- has been laying the foundation since he got his callup to the Major Leagues in July 2017 at the age of 20. And he gets better each year.

Unlike Ortiz, who didn’t become a star until he was 27, Devers has had a running start into his Major League career.

But to become Boston’s next Big Papi, Devers will need to agree with the Red Sox on an extension that will keep him with the club beyond 2023, at which point he would be eligible for free agency.

If the business part of it works out, Devers could be taking aim at the Green Monster in left and the bullpens in right-center for years to come. It is clear that at this moment, his heart belongs to the Red Sox.

“That’s not entirely up to me, but I don’t know any other team,” said Devers. “I love this city, I love my teammates, I love the coaches. I don’t know any other team, so of course I would love to be here. But at the and end of the day, it’s not in my hands.”

Though there are Devers fans all over Red Sox Nation, there might not be a bigger one than Ortiz.

“One hundred percent, when I see Devers, it’s like I never left,” said Ortiz. “He’s fearless. This kid, man -- at such an early age, he looks invincible out there. Everything is going really good for him. When I first saw him a couple of years ago in the big leagues, I right away told the Red Sox, ‘You’ve got to lock this guy in.’”

It's not every day that a star player meshes so perfectly with his teammates and his fan-base while having a hitting stroke perfect for his home ballpark.

That was once the case for Ortiz after the Twins released him and he reached iconic status in Boston. Ortiz will formally be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on July 24.

That same day, Devers will be raking at Fenway Park against the Blue Jays, taking the same type of mighty cuts Ortiz unleashed for his 14 years in Boston.

“Devers might be one of the top three pure hitters in the game right now. Not might, I’m 100 percent sure,” said Ortiz. “I watch that kid hitting and playing the game so many times that when I watch him, I’m expecting something. Once you have that type of player, there’s no other way but to compare him to myself.”

What does Ortiz see in himself when he watches Devers hit?

“He doesn’t waste any at-bats. There’s never a time he’s not trying to do damage. Every time he steps at the plate, you can see that he’s expecting to do something,” Ortiz say. “I say, as a fan, watching the game, you always expect him to come through. I know what that feeling is all about. I hope the Red Sox make sense about the decision that they have to make with him. We’ve got to keep Devers around, man. Devers is the face of that organization as of right now. Nobody can argue that.”

Face of the franchise. That is a heady title coming from Big Papi. Devers blushes at the comparisons to a player he idolized in his youth.

“Me? I don’t know. Of course, being compared to him is huge, but I just want to do my job and try to be recognized by my own name,” Devers said. “But yeah, being compared to David is something really nice, but at the end of the day, I will hopefully have people remember me as myself.”

Given the way fans supported him in the All-Star ballot the last two years, it’s clear Devers is carving his own niche.

Though Ortiz isn’t a constant presence around the Red Sox, he’s been around enough to give Devers some advice.

“We are always talking and he has given me advice,” Devers said. “He’s telling me that you have to enjoy the opportunity here 100 percent. You can’t get frustrated from one day to another. You have to just enjoy it because it’s a short time you are here, and you have to enjoy it to your fullest.”