MLB.com’s Red Sox Pick For MVP Shouldn’t Surprise Anyone

Rafael Devers has been a bright spot for the Red Sox in an underwhelming 2022 season.

The third baseman is batting .299 with 25 home runs and a .911 OPS. Devers’ defense also has improved at the hot corner through 107 games.

MLB.com’s Will Leitch released his one award candidate for every team Thursday and picked Devers’ as the MVP for the Red Sox. Here’s Leitch’s excerpt:

Key stat: 96 hard-hit base hits are third-most in MLB
If the Red Sox hadn’t faltered so much over the past couple of months, Devers might be able to make a better case for himself.

Unless New York Yankees star Aaron Judge goes on some catastrophic spiral, he’ll likely take home the honors for the American League.

While it’s a long shot for Devers to win the award, he has been able to provide stability to a Red Sox lineup that hasn’t played well over the course of the last month, and has earned the praise of David Ortiz, who has urged Boston to keep Devers in a Red Sox uniform long-term.

Devers and the Red Sox look to salvage a win in their finale against the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday night. First pitch from Fenway Park is set for 7:10 p.m. ET and you can catch all the action beginning at 6 p.m. on NESN.