Rafael Devers Can Reach Rare Feat Because Of Red Sox Trade

Rafael Devers can accomplish an unusual Iron Man achievement this season.

The star slugger leads MLB with 157 games played entering the final week. Nobody has matched that tally because every team has played 156 games.

Devers played every game with the Boston Red Sox before getting traded to the San Francisco Giants, where he hasn’t missed a single matchup. The trade gives the 28-year-old a chance to finish the 162-game season with 163 games played.

A Reddit user noted earlier this month that Devers would become the first person to play 163 games in a season since Justin Morneau in 2008. The Minnesota Twins played an extra tiebreaker game to determine the American League Central champion.

Todd Zeile also played 163 games for two teams because of a midseason trade in 1996.

Courtesy of MLB.com’s Maria Guardado, Giants manager Bob Melvin is now aware of this possibility. Although the Giants trail the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets by three games for the National League’s final playoff spot, he’s prepared to keep Devers in his lineup.

“We might have to try to make that happen,” Melvin said. “He just likes to play baseball. He really does. I think the DHing probably helps, too, to be able to play 162. But I didn’t know that. That’s pretty cool.”

Devers played 73 games for the Red Sox, all as a designated hitter, despite dealing with a groin strain before the blockbuster deal. The three-time All-Star will set a new career high when making his 703rd and next plate appearance.

Although Devers has his lowest slugging percentage (.468) since 2018, he’s tallied 32 home runs and 105 RBIs in an everyday role. The former third baseman notched a .989 OPS in August after a slow start to his Giants tenure.

San Francisco recently called up first base prospect Bryce Eldridge, but Devers looks poised to play the final six games and secure the obscure milestone.