Rafael Devers ‘More Complete Player’ In 2021 Than 2018 With Red Sox

Rafael Devers quietly is becoming an elite hitter, and Alex Cora knows it.

The Red Sox All-Star third baseman is batting .283 with 29 home runs and 89 RBIs heading into Boston’s finale with the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

Devers has come in clutch for the Red Sox several times, and continues to put himself in with some impressive company at just 24 years old.

The scariest part (for opponents, anyway,) is that he only is getting better and better.

“I do believe he understands who he is now, and he understands that the league knows who he is,” Cora said over Zoom on Wednesday. “And there’s certain at-bats he wont get a pitch in the strike zone and he knows it. The fact that he can go out of the strike zone and barrel balls is always good in a way. But at the same time there’s times you just take your walk and keep the line moving.

“But I do believe he understands situations now where we are in the game, who’s in the bullpen, who he’s facing, who’s behind him. He knows the game, he understands it and now he’s applying it to his benefit,” Cora added, “understanding what people are gonna do, and there’s certain times that it works to his advantage and theres other time that he shows he’s still 24. And he’s like, ‘no you know what I’m gonna do it.’ He’ll expand and he’ll get into trouble. But overall if you compare this kid to ’18 to ’19 to last year to now, this is a more complete player. He’s a much better hitter mentally than what he was a few years ago.”

If Devers continues to improve with age, it only will spell bad news for pitchers.