Rafael Devers never will be a Brooks Robinson-like third baseman. For that matter, he may never approach the Pablo Sandovals of the world, either.
But an objectively awful defender, as so many believe he is? That’s just not true.
The truth is that Devers, still just 22 years old, is average in the field. Not bad, not good — average. Furthermore, the numbers suggest the Boston Red Sox third baseman actually is improving at the hot corner.
Check out this tweet from Red Sox Stats:
For what it’s worth, Fangraphs had Devers as its 16th-ranked third baseman last season. Would you believe us if we told you that Alex Bregman and Evan Longoria ranked 13th and 14th, respectively?
Say what you want about stats, but when nearly all of them point to Devers being adequate/average defensively, it’s hard label him anything different.
Again, let’s not get things twisted. Devers has a lot of work to do in the field, and the eight errors he has committed this season — second most in baseball — are barely tolerable for a team that’s 7 1/2 games out of first place in its division. There’s also the eye test to consider, which is unkind to player who’s far more goofy than he is flashy.
But, to piggyback off Red Sox Stats, fans should pump the breaks on relegating Devers to a career as a first baseman or designated hitter. He one day might prove to be a lost cause at third, but for now, Devers and his glove are both serviceable and — dare we say — promising.
