Rafael Devers is making a strong case to be the face of the Boston Red Sox in the very near future.
The 22-year-old third baseman is in the midst of a breakout season, even matching some of Ted Williams' impressive feats. He's been particularly good of late, batting 13-for-24 (including eight straight hits against the Cleveland Indians earlier this week) over his last five games.
Devers has quickly established himself as one of the American League's most productive players in 2019, and he ranks No. 1 or in the top 10 in several important statistical categories.
Here's a look at where he ranks among his AL peers.
Avg.: .327 (3rd)
HR: 25 (T-20th)
RBI: 94 (1st)
OBP: .375 (11th)
Runs: 99 (2nd)
Hits: 160 (1st)
XBH: 71 (1st)
Doubles: 43 (1st)
SLG: .580 (3rd)
OPS: .954 (5th)
WAR: 4.5 (8th)
Total bases: 284 (1st)
If the Red Sox were closer to a postseason berth -- they are 17 games back in the American League East and 7.5 games behind a wild-card spot -- Devers would be a top MVP candidate, and maybe even the frontrunner.
Boston Red Sox
Not only are Devers' stats excellent, he's been among the most consistent players in baseball this year. April was by far his worst month of the season and he still had a respectable .282 batting average.
The Red Sox have gone through a rollercoaster year that seems to be slipping away from them (12 losses in the last 18 games) as September approaches. But one of the silver linings has been the play of Devers, who's become a huge star and a player the Red Sox can build their team around if Mookie Betts chooses not to re-sign with Boston in free agency.
Click to find out how close Red Sox were to trading Devers>>>
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