Expectations were high for the Boston Red Sox this year but the team fell to a 1-4 record after suffering an 8-5 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Monday. There's plenty of time to bounce back but it appears the fanbase is growing weary of star designated hitter Rafael Devers.
The 28-year-old star has played in all five games for the Red Sox so far but has failed to record a single hit, starting the season off 0-19 at the plate. To make matters worse, Devers has already struck out 15 times on the season. Historically, this is the worst start for a hitter through five games in an MLB season.
Although we're only five games into the regular season, Red Sox fans are growing concerned. It's getting to the point where numerous individuals are roasting Rafael Devers for his sluggish slump. Many make jokes while others ponder whether moving him off of third base is affecting his play.
“Rafael Devers is 0-19 with 15 Ks. That’s almost impossible to do. Not even sure sitting him will change much right now. This is brutal,” said one user.
One fan jokingly suggested, “Have they tried turning off Rafael Devers and turning him back on again?”
“The Red Sox should really consider moving Rafael Devers back to 3rd base so he can build back up his confidence by committing a bunch of errors to go with all those strikeouts,” joked another individual.
Former Baltimore Orioles first baseman Ryan Ripken stated, ” Devers is struggling BAD but he is going to get it figured out soon.”
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“I actually to this point could have the same stats as Devers has,” claimed another fan.
With the Red Sox star acquiring his 15th strikeout on the season so far, he's currently on pace for 486 strikeouts on the season. The current MLB record was set in the 2009 season by Mark Reynolds, who struck out 223 times that season. Devers is well on pace to smash that record.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora fielded questions about Devers' slow start after Monday's contest. Cora seemed a bit more optimistic about the situation than the fanbase, claiming there “were some positives today.” He also claimed that he likes that Devers isn't “chasing pitches.”
“Red Sox Manager Cora on Rafael Devers: “We'll find it mechanically. The good thing is that he's not chasing pitches, he's swinging at pitches in the zone. Obviously, the bad thing is he's swinging and missing…but there were some positives today and we just build from that.”
Devers will have his next opportunity to get his first hit on the season on Wednesday when they face off against the Orioles again. That's assuming Cora doesn't give Devers a break after playing five consecutive games.
Benedetto Vitale has nearly a decade of experience in sports journalism, with expertise in covering the NFL, NCAA Football, NBA, and UFC. The Oregon alumni resides in Greenville, South Carolina, and has previous bylines at BroBible.
