Rafael Devers

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Boston Red Sox #2 prospect in 2017
  The Red Sox felt that Devers was the best international amateur bat available in 2013, viewing him as a future middle-of-the-order slugger. He hasn't disappointed them yet. Devers started slowly at high Class A Salem in 2016, carrying a .195 average into June, but he was one of the best hitters in the Carolina League over the final three months. Devers shows an unusual ability to drive the ball to all fields with loft and backspin that creates the possibility for all-fields power. He's aggressive in a way that likely will cap his on-base percentage but with bat-to-ball skills that suggest solid batting averages and that, to date, have limited his strikeout totals. As a 19-year-old in 2016, his most significant progress came at third base, where evaluators saw a player with above-average to plus range and throwing arm. His wide hips suggest that his weight management and conditioning will always be a focus, but to this point, he's maintained athleticism not only to stay at third but also to surprise as a solid baserunner. That reflects well on his makeup and willingness to work. At this point, Devers looks like the top power-hitting prospect in the system, a future five- or six-hole hitter with plus power and above-average defense. He appears destined for Double-A Portland for most if not all of 2017.
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  Ranked Boston Red Sox #2 prospect in 2016
  The Red Sox evaluated Devers as the best international amateur bat available in 2013, viewing him as a potential all-fields slugger who would spend a career in the middle of the order. Nothing has altered that opinion. At low Class A Greenville in 2015 he ranked among the South Atlantic League leaders with 38 doubles and 50 extra-base hits. Devers launches the ball to all fields with a lefhanded swing that generates both loft and backspin. Though he hit just 11 homers in 2015, few doubt he will build on that total as he adds strength and gains a greater understanding of when to complement his up-the-middle and opposite-field ability with a willingness to turn on pitches for pull power. Devers' physical development will determine if he stays at third base--a position he has the hands, feet, and arm to play--or moves to first. One evaluator described him as a still-maturing player who could either shed his baby fat or who will struggle with weight in a fashion reminiscent of Pablo Sandoval. At either corner, his bat should play. He surprises evaluators with his athleticism and baserunning ability. Given that Devers was one of the youngest players in the SAL, the Red Sox need not rush him. At the same time, they don't necessarily need to shy from an aggressive development path for a player with the most straightforward middle-of-the-order projection of anyone in the system.
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  Ranked Boston Red Sox #6 prospect in 2015
  Regarded as the best pure bat on the international amateur market in 2013, Devers delivered on that status in his 2014 pro debut. He announced his presence by clubbing an opposite-field homer in the DSL opener and didn't stop mashing. At 17, he led two Sox affiliates in home runs, becoming the first Sox 17-year-old to make the in-season jump from the DSL to the States in years. Devers' ability to drive the ball out of the park to all fields at such a young age suggests a player with an enormous ceiling as a potential middle-of-the-order fixture, depending on how he develops against lefthanders. There are questions about whether he'll outgrow third, where he committed 18 errors in 51 games. For now he shows the hands and feet to complement a plus arm which suggests he could stay at the position. Multiple evaluators citied the potential for a Pablo Sandoval-style defender. Devers will compete in spring training for a spot as a third baseman in low Class A Greenville as an 18-year-old in 2015. Regardless of whether his future is at first or third, his progression will be monitored closely for a potential game-changing bat that could anchor a lineup in his prime.
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  Ranked Boston Red Sox #20 prospect in 2014
  Signed for $1.5 million in August 2013, Devers has yet to play a game in the organization, but he was a head-turning performer as a 16-year-old in instructional league. One evaluator gave Devers' power a present grade of 60 on the 20-80 scouting scale, with a future forecast of double-plus being a possibility. Others are more reserved in assessing his power potential, but Devers was considered by many to be the best pure hitter in the 2013 international amateur class. The rare Dominican lefthanded hitter, he shows the ability to hit line drives to left-center field and to pulverize pitches on the inner half with outstanding bat speed, resulting in middle-of-the-order potential. Defensively, Devers shows decent, if unexceptional, hands, actions and arm strength at third base, though he'll have to stay on top of his conditioning if he wants to avoid a move to first base. He may bypass the Dominican Summer League to make his pro debut in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2014, when he'll be 17.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Eastern League #1 prospect in 2017
  From the beginning of the EL season until the moment he left on July 15, Devers ranked among the very best prospects in the minors. His tools, especially offensively, were obviously impressive, but he also wowed managers with the ease with which he played. Devers this season developed into an all-fields hitter, a departure from the days when teams had the lefthanded batter shifted heavily to his pull side. He hits a fastball as well as anyone--as demonstrated when he hit an opposite-field home run on a 104 mph fastball from Aroldis Chapman in the big leagues-- but didn't show particular vulnerability to offspeed stuff, either. Devers projects as an above-average hitter with above-average or better power. He has improved defensively and should stick at third base with decent range as well as soft hands and an above-average arm. The Red Sox, who traded many high-profile prospects last winter, look wise for keeping Devers, a potential cornerstone player who sparked Boston's offense in the second half.
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  Ranked Carolina League #6 prospect in 2016
  The highly touted Devers was hitting just .199 as late as May 28, but he turned that around, and then some, to finish 11th in the Carolina League in batting (.284). He shortened his swing and used the middle of the field but also improved his power. Scouts and managers raved about Devers' quick feet, strong arm and soft hands at third base. They said he has a strong internal clock to make on-time throws. "He's one of the best I've seen with his hands and the way he fields his position," Salem manager Joe Oliver said. "The rough start he got off to never transitioned to the other side of the ball. He uses the whole field and has power from foul pole to foul pole. He's probably at his best when he uses left-center and right-center field. He listened to input from hitting coach Nelson Paulino."
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  Ranked South Atlantic League #5 prospect in 2015
  Devers' raw statistics aren't as impressive as some other players in the SAL, but when you consider his age (18 all season), his loose swing and hand-eye coordination, he projects to be one of the best hitters from this year's class. Devers keeps the barrel of his bat in the hitting zone for a long time, feeding a middle-of-the-field approach that produced 38 doubles and 50 extra-base hits that ranked second and third in the SAL. While Devers appears to take a ferocious lefthanded rip, he manages to stay balanced throughout his swing. He has plus raw power that should grow into more consistent home-run output as he reaches his twenties. Devers wore down as the season progressed, but he managed to fight through an August slump to finish strong, with seven multi-hit games in his last nine. Devers has wide hips that lead to concerns of future weight gain, but he has the body control, infield actions and light feet to stay at third base. If he dives for a ball, he takes an extra second to pop back up, but he should be a solid-average defender.
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  Ranked Florida Complex League #1 prospect in 2014
  The consensus top lefthanded hitter on the international market in 2013, Devers signed with the Red Sox soon after July 2 for $1.5 million. After obliterating Dominican Summer League pitching this summer, he made his GCL debut on July 4 and continued to shine. Devers has a sweet, buggy-whip swing from the left side, plus bat speed and a knack for barreling the ball with authority, whether it's in or out of the strike zone. He uses a simple, compact stroke that stays in the hitting zone, giving him excellent plate coverage and the ability to drive the ball to all fields. His power output has improved since he signed, with plus raw power that could tick up with natural strength progression. Devers is an aggressive hitter who can get jumpy at times, but he's at his best when he keeps his weight back and lets his hands work. His pitch recognition is solid for his age, though it's still an area he's working to improve. The biggest question on Devers when he signed was where he would play in the field. Between the DSL and GCL, Devers committed 28 errors in 80 games at third base. He has enough arm strength to play there, but his footwork needs to improve and he will have to keep his heavier body type in check to avoid a move to first base.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #18 prospect in 2017
• Ranked Baseball America's #18 prospect in 2016
• Ranked Baseball America's #99 prospect in 2015

• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: The Red Sox felt that Devers was the best international amateur bat available in 2013, viewing him as a future middle-of-the-order slugger. He hasn't disappointed them yet. Devers started slowly at high Class A Salem in 2016, carrying a .195 average into June, but he was one of the best hitters in the Carolina League over the final three months. Scouting Report: Devers shows an unusual ability to drive the ball to all fields with loft and backspin that creates the possibility for all-fields power. He's aggressive in a way that likely will cap his on-base percentage but with bat-to-ball skills that suggest solid batting averages and that, to date, have limited his strikeout totals. As a 19-year-old in 2016, his most significant progress came at third base, where evaluators saw a player with above-average to plus range and throwing arm. His wide hips suggest that his weight management and conditioning will always be a focus, but to this point, he's maintained athleticism not only to stay at third but also to surprise as a solid baserunner. That reflects well on his makeup and willingness to work.
  
  The Future: At this point, Devers looks like the top power-hitting prospect in the system, a future five- or six-hole hitter with plus power and above-average defense. He appears destined for Double-A Portland for most if not all of 2017.