Mar 27, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter Rafael Devers (11) walks in the dugout in the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
Rafael Devers is unrecognizable, and not just because of his new role.
The Boston Red Sox moved Devers from third base to designated hitter this offseason, clearing a path for Gold Glover Alex Bregman to take over the hot corner and top prospect Kristian Campbell to break camp as the second baseman.
Emotions ran high for Devers off the field, but still, no one could have predicted how he would start the season.
Through five games, Devers is 0-for-19 with a whopping 15 strikeouts. He has 35 swings and misses so far--15 more than any other hitter in Major League Baseball to this point. Essentially, he looks like a different player than the star slugger fans have come to expect.
It's such a small sample size, but the way Devers has been completely dominated has left many concerned about the cause--especially if there's still any lingering effects from his 2024 shoulder injuries. But on Monday, Devers insisted he feels fine, while throwing out one potential cause for his struggles.
“I never change the way that I hit. I’m still aggressive. I’ve always been like that,” Devers said through his translator, per Adam London of NESN. “Maybe I’m thinking too much at the plate — what the pitcher might throw or not. Otherwise, I feel good.”
Those watching the Red Sox's games can see that Devers is working through a few issues. His timing is off--his load is hesitant and off-beat. His shoulders and hips are yanking toward the first-base dugout while his bat drags far behind, and he's swinging slower than we've ever seen (bat-tracking data backs this up).
It's a particularly bad time for Devers to go through these struggles, especially considering the rest of the team is doing little to pick up the slack. He was publicly disgruntled at the start of spring training about the potential of a position change, and now, he's become one of the biggest stories in the game.
Again, it's only been five games. If the Red Sox played an NFL season, they'd just be beginning the second half of game one. But Devers' struggles have been so pronounced that many will rightfully hit the panic button soon, if they haven't already.
