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It was Aug. 13, 2017 when a 20-year-old Rafael Devers actually put himself on the radar of baseball followers in every single place. Hitting a house run off a 102.8 mph pitch from then-Yankee lefty Aroldis Chapman took care of that.
It was historical past. The quickest pitch ever thrown that resulted in a homer towards a pitcher who hadn’t allowed a house run to lefty hitter since 2011.
Sunday evening, Devers determined it was time for one more Yankee Stadium reminder of precisely how totally different he’s.
Two extra residence runs within the Yankees’ residence ballpark – giving him 16 homers over 57 video games on the venue – was the whole lot for the Purple Sox’ newest win, this one ending as a 3-0 triumph towards the New Yorkers.
Nevertheless it was the panache provided by the Purple Sox’ third baseman that actually supplied perception into what we’re witnessing with this participant.
There was the defensive play to shut out the eighth inning, storming in on a sluggish curler from D.J. LeMahieu earlier than barehanding the ball and firing it to first. Definitely, no person goes to evoke Brooks Robinson comparisons to Devers the fielder, however the play – alongside together with his capacity to land on July 8 with simply six errors – is one thing.
After which there was that second residence run, the one which left the sort of indelible mark we had skilled with the Chapman homer.
As has been the case in years’ previous, Devers did one thing that makes baseball followers scurry for explanations concerning the slugger’s bodily feats. This time the curiosity got here courtesy a seemingly unexplainable ninth-inning homer.
“He loves the highlight and he’s very quiet about it,” Purple Sox supervisor Alex Cora advised reporters. “However you would really feel it [from Devers] within the dugout from the get-go. It looks like the stadium was quiet in the present day in comparison with the final two days, and he stored going, ‘Let’s go guys, we’ve obtained to maintain going. We’ve obtained to push.’ After which on the finish, he simply put us on his shoulders and carried us to the ‘W.’”
Then there may be the larger image as to what Devers has been doing for a Purple Sox crew that’s simply three video games again of the Yankees within the loss column for the highest wild card spot.
For starters, he’s having arguably the most effective all-round season of his profession. For reference, right here is the place Devers has landed on July 8 in earlier seasons:
2023: .254 batting common, .822 OPS, 20 homers, 70 RBI.
2022: .327 batting common, .977 OPS, 19 homers, 51 RBI.
2021: .286 batting common, .921 OPS, 21 homers, 71 RBI.
2019: .324 batting common, .923 OPS, 16 homers, 62 RBI.
2018: .246 batting common, .726 OPS, 14 homers, 48 RBI.
This yr? Devers is hitting .293 with a .971 OPS, 21 homers and 55 RBI.
What is likely to be now tough to recollect is the narrative by the primary month of this season concerning how Devers’ existence wasn’t going to stay as much as his contract or his expectations. However then got here that second on Could 11 when Washington supervisor Dave Martinez determined it was a good suggestion to stroll Tyler O’Neill to get to Devers.
Since Devers made Martinez pay that day, he has a 1.024, which trails solely Aaron Choose, Yordan Alvarez, Gunnar Henderson and Bryce Harper over that point.
It was the catapult to what’s turning out to be maybe Devers’ most memorable season. Within the meantime, whereas we watch all of this play out, the third baseman supplied a couple of extra unforgettable situations.