Rafael Devers has what it takes to join one of Major League Baseball's most-illustrious clubs.
MLB.com's Will Leitch on Thursday included the Boston Red Sox third baseman on his list of 10 players he expects to hit 40 home runs in a single season. Devers already has demonstrated his impressive power during his four-plus MLB seasons, and Leitch believes he'll be among the game's premier sluggers for years to come.
"He's got a chance to get there this year: He's at (a career-high) 33 with four weeks to go," Leitch wrote. "He had 32 two years ago, to go along with an AL-leading 54 doubles. He's also of course just getting started, and he has the body type and swing radius that should make him a reliable launching pad for the next decade or so."
Alex Cora credited Devers last month for maturing as a hitter. Devers' combination of body and swing already are constants in his game, and his mental progress Cora cited only will help him near, or perhaps exceed, the 40-home run mark soon.
