Pitchers can run but they can’t hide from Rafael Devers.
The Boston Red Sox third baseman’s ability to hit any and all pitches has drawn the praise of Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona, who compared him a player who slugged his way into the National Baseball Hall of Fame not too long ago.
“He reminds me of a lefthanded Vladimir Guerrero,” Francona told The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham last week. “There’s not a pitch he doesn’t think he can hit, and he hits most of them.”
Guerrero enjoyed a 16-year MLB career, in which he batted .318, hit 449 home runs and earned All-Star selection nine times between 1996 and 2011. He was enshrined into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018.
Devers, 22, currently leads the big leagues with 101 RBIs while batting .332 with 27 home runs. Not only have his performances earned Francona’s endorsement in recent days, Red Sox manager Alex Cora and first baseman Mitch Moreland also gushed over Devers, who collected American League Player of the Week honors.
Should Devers keep this up, public praise from Guerrero himself almost certainly will follow.
