20 Year-Old Rafael Devers Did Something That No One In Major League Baseball Has Done In At Least Nine Years
Rafael Devers has exceeded expectations since being called up from Pawtucket three weeks ago. The 20 year-old stud is hitting .344 with 6 home runs and 12 RBI’s, not to mention he’s showing the plate discipline of a 10-year veteran.
In Sunday night’s crucial win over the Yankees in New York, Devers found himself in the biggest moment of his young career. Top of the 9th, 1 out, trailing 2-1 with Aroldis Chapman on the mound. Chapman gassed up a 102.8 MPH fastball and the kid turned on it and sent it over the wall in left-center to tie the game:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BXwiJTvH8ZN/?taken-by=bostonsbigfour
That’s the fastest pitch hit for a home run since the stat has been tracked, which unfortunately only dates back to 2008. But in a sport where the average age for each team ranges from 26 to 30 and some players don’t reach their prime until their late 20’s or early 30’s, we witnessed a 20 year-old do something that no other player has managed to do.
Less than 24 hours later, the Rafael Devers Show continued. The Sox took on the Indians at Fenway on Monday night and he homered in his first two at-bats. The second one came in the fourth inning and tied the game 3-3, meaning that Devers had hit three home runs in four at-bats, two of them game-tying.
The Sox lost the game 7-3 on Monday but this guy is showing that he’s the real deal. He’s provided a spark to a Red Sox’ offense that was struggling when he arrived back on July 23rd. The best part is that he turns 21 on October 24th, which means he’ll be old enough to pop champagne just in time for his first World Series victory.
Follow Jack Bardsley on Twitter @BostonsBigFour