Full name is Rafael Devers. Signed by Manny Nanita (Red Sox). His cousin, Jose, made his professional debut with the Yankees' Rookie-level Dominican Summer League and Gulf Coast League clubs in 2017 before being traded to MIA on 12/11/17.
2017
Made his ML debut at 20 years old...Had never played above Double-A prior to 2017...In 58 ML games, hit .284 (63-for-222) with an .819 OPS, 14 2B, 10 HR, 30 RBI, and 34 runs scored. Named the 3B on the Topps All-Star Rookie Team. Earned the Greg Montalbano Minor League Player of the Year Award from the Boston Baseball Writers. Became the 1st player ever to hit 8 HR in his first 20 ML games before turning 21 (source: Elias). In the majors, hit .400 vs. LHP (20-for-50, 2 HR) and .312 at home (39-for-125, .902 OPS). In 86 minor league games between Double-A Portland (77 G) and Triple-A Pawtucket (9 G), posted a .311/.377/.578 batting line (100-for-322, 20 2B, 3 3B, 20 HR). Named an Eastern League mid-season All-Star and selected to play in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game...Entered the season ranked by Baseball America as the Red Sox' No. 2 prospect, as well as having the best infield arm in the organization... Was also ranked the No. 18 prospect in baseball. Ranked the best defensive 3rd baseman in the Eastern League in the Baseball America Best Tools survey...Also named to the Baseball America All-Star Second Team. Began the season with Portland, homering in his 1st game of the season on 4/7 vs. Reading...Hit 2 HR on 5/2 at Hartford and 6/28 vs. New Hampshire...In that game at Hartford, went 5-for-5 with 4 RBI and 4 runs scored. Started at 3B for the World Team in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game on 7/9 at Marlins Park (1-for-4). Also started the Eastern League All-Star Game at 3B for the East on 7/12 and went 1-for-2 as the cleanup hitter. Ranked as baseball's No. 6 overall prospect in Baseball America's Midseason Top 100 Prospects list. Transferred to Pawtucket on 7/14...Made his Triple-A debut the following day (7/15) at Syracuse and went 4-for-4 with a HR and a double. Played in only 9 games with the PawSox before his ML selection, going 14-for-35 (.400) with 2 HR. Selected to the ML roster on 7/24 and reached base in each of his first 9 games with BOS. Made his ML debut on 7/25 at SEA, starting at 3B (0-for-4, 2 BB, R)...At 20 years and 275 days old, was the youngest active player in the majors at the time. Was the youngest Red Sox to appear in a game since Jeff Suppan (20y, 265d) in 1995, and the youngest BOS position player to do so since Luis Alvarado (20y, 259d) in 1969. In his 2nd game, on 7/26 at SEA, hit a solo HR off Andrew Moore in the 3rd inning for his 1st ML hit and added a single in the 7th...At 20 years and 276 days old, became the youngest Red Sox player to homer since Tony Conigliaro in September 1965. Went 4-for-4 on 7/31 vs. CLE...According to Elias, he became the 5th Red Sox player to record 4+ hits in a game before turning 21, joining Babe Ruth, Ted Williams (3x), Dalton Jones (2x), and Tony Conigliaro (2x). In the Sox' 3-2 win on 8/13 at NYY, tied the game at 2-2 in the 9th inning by hitting a solo HR off Aroldis Chapman...At 20 years and 293 days old, became only the 4th Red Sox player to homer against the Yankees in NY before turning 21 (source: Elias)...The others are Tony Conigliaro (1964), Gene Stephens (1953), and Babe Ruth (1915). Hit 2 HR the following day (8/14) vs. CLE...According to Elias, joined Ted Williams and Tony Conigliaro as the only Red Sox ever to homer in consecutive games before turning 21...Those are also the only 3 Red Sox ever to record a multi-HR game before turning 21. Recorded an RBI in 4 straight games from 8/12-15...Since RBI became an official stat in 1920, the only other Red Sox with an RBI in 4+ straight games before turning 21 are Bobby Doerr, Ted Williams, and Tony Conigliaro. Homered in consecutive games on 8/18-19 vs. NYY, becoming the 1st player ever with 8+ HR in their first 20 ML games at the age of 20 or younger (source: Elias). Joined Babe Ruth as the only players ever to homer in 3 straight games vs. NYY before turning 21, doing so from 8/13-19 (source: Elias). In his first 20 ML games through 8/19, was 28-for-77 (.364)...It marked the most hits recorded by a Red Sox in their first 20 games since Johnny Pesky (28 in 1942). Hit safely in 17 of his first 20 ML games...The only other players in the last 100 years to hit safely in 17+ of their first 20 games before turning 21 are Hall of Famers Roberto Clemente and Ivan Rodriguez. Went 4-for-35 (.114) during a 9-game stretch from 8/20-28, but in his final 29 games (beginning 8/29) he hit .282 (31-for-110). In the Sox' 3-game sweep at CIN from 9/22-24, went 5-for-11 with 2 HR and 5 RBI (2 game-winning RBI). On 9/22 at CIN, turned a 4-2 deficit into a 5-4 lead with a 3-run HR in the 4th inning...On 9/24 at CIN, tied the game at 1-1 with a HR in the 5th inning and broke a 4-4 tie with an RBI single in the 8th. Recorded a double and at least 1 RBI in each of his final 3 games of the season (9/29-10/1). POSTSEASON: Appeared in each of the Sox' 4 ALDS games vs. HOU and led the club in HR (2), RBI (tied, 5), and BB (tied, 2)...Started Games 1, 3, and 4, all at 3B...Started Game 1 at only 20 years and 346 days old, becoming the youngest Red Sox position player ever to appear in a postseason game...Hit a game-winning, 2-run HR in Game 3 at Fenway Park, turning a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead in the 3rd inning...Became only the 6th player-and 1st Red Sox-ever to hit a postseason HR before turning 21, joining Mickey Mantle, Andruw Jones, Miguel Cabrera, Manny Machado, and Bryce Harper...In Game 4, led off the bottom of the 9th inning with an inside-the-park HR...Was the 17th inside-the-park HR in postseason history, the 3rd hit by a Red Sox (see pg. 97). The only other rookie to hit an inside-the-park HR In the postseason is PIT's Jimmy Sebring (1903 WS-G1 at BOS off Cy Young)...Joined Mickey Mantle, Andruw Jones, and Miguel Cabrera as the only players with multiple postseason HR before turning 21.
2016
Named Red Sox Minor League Defensive Player of the Year, in addition to being named a Carolina League Year-End All-Star...Spent entire season with High-A Salem. Led league 3rd basemen in fielding percentage (.960), total chances (377), putouts (104), and assists (258), and ranked T-2nd in double plays (19). Ranked 3rd in the CL in at-bats (503), 4th in hits (142), and 5th in total bases (223)...Also ranked among team leaders in games (1st, 128), runs (1st, 64), HR (1st, 11), doubles (2nd, 32), RBI (2nd, 71), and triples (3rd, 8). Following the season, ranked by Baseball America as the No. 3 prospect in the Red Sox organization, as well as having the best infield arm in the farm system...Also ranked the No. 6 prospect in the Carolina League by Baseball America, in addition to being named a High Class A All-Star. Named Red Sox Minor League Defensive Player of the Month in April. In 65 games after the All-Star break, posted a .326/.367/.539/.906 line (87-for-267, 24 2B, 6 3B, 7 HR). Hit above .300 in June (.313), July (.357), and August (.328)...Reached base safely in 19 straight games from 7/28-8/17, hitting .333 (28-for-84)...Hit 2 HR on 8/11 at Myrtle Beach. Following the season, batted .243 (18-for-74) in 25 games with Escogido in the Dominican Winter League.
