How Xander Bogaerts Guided Rafael Devers To Red Sox Stardom

BOSTON -- Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts were virtually inseparable for the six seasons they spent together with the Boston Red Sox.

When Devers debuted in 2017, he had an example to follow on the left side of the infield in the Boston shortstop. Though he's just four years older than Devers, Bogaerts took the role of a mentor to guide the talented young infielder through his early days with the Red Sox. From being there to put an arm around Devers to providing a pep talk to leading by example on and off the field, Bogaerts showed his infield partner how to be a big leaguer.

Fast forward to 2024. Both players earned mega-contracts, though Bogaerts took his in free agency with the San Diego Padres. Devers got paid like the face of the franchise for the Red Sox and got thrust into the role of a leader by default. As he visits Fenway Park for the first time since his departure, Bogaerts weighed in on Devers' growth.

"Nothing surprises me with him, to be honest," Bogaerts told reporters at Fenway Park. "I've seen that for so long with him. Special talent. Special kid. He just seems to get better every year. Obviously, a lot of talk is on his defense, but that's improving. Offense with him is always steady. You know what you're going to get."

While Bogaerts is the more natural vocal leader, he commended Devers for showing an initiative to improve his overall communication to enhance his own abilities as a needed leader for the Red Sox, which is still a work in progress.

"I felt like he would've done a good job with it," Bogaerts explained. "The first step with that was him trying to learn the (English) language. He was one of those guys that wanted to learn English. Some other guys feel like it's not that important. He wanted to communicate with the other guys. I feel like that was one of the biggest steps he had to take in order to do that. Maybe the leadership torch got passed on to him a little quicker than he expected. Someone has to do it. I felt like he was a guy that felt and needed to do that."

More than a full season after Devers and Bogaerts found themselves on separates coasts and separates teams, their friendship remains the same. The duo spent time together with a cookout at Devers' home on Thursday, reuniting a pair that performed at an elite level for years with the Red Sox.

Alex Cora watched that brotherhood build throughout his managerial tenure with the Red Sox. As a veteran mentor at the end of his own playing career, Cora saw the incredible impact Bogaerts played in leading Devers to stardom.

"I do believe as far as routine structure, how to handle the clubhouse, how to handle the off-the-field stuff; without Xander, it was going to be a challenge," Cora told reporters. "It was going to take longer than expected. (They're) different personalities, Raffy and Xander. Obviously, hopefully Raffy can feel comfortable talking to everybody and speaking his mind whenever he's needed. We're in that process, right?"

Baseball is a sport that often comes full circle and allows players the chance to give back to the game. That's exactly what Cora saw from Bogaerts with the chance to be there for Devers. The Red Sox should be forever grateful for that process.

"At the same time, just the accountability of showing up every day and posting every day," Cora added. "That's something he learned from Xander Bogaerts. From Xander's perspective, it was paying it forward, right? (Dustin) Pedroia, David (Ortiz), all those guys that helped him become the guy he is now. He developed into it. He paid it forward with Raffy. That's a really cool dynamic."