Giants Slugger Rafael Devers is slowly finding his Comfort Zone at First Base

The former Red Sox third baseman is slowly making defensive adjustments as he mans a new corner infield spot for San Francisco

Aug 8, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants first baseman Rafael Devers (16) watches game play against the Washington Nationals during the second inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

When the San Francisco Giants acquired Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox on June 15, it had some fans scratching their heads. Did they give up too much to get the slugger? Were the Giants about to make some more aggressive moves for a playoff push? Most importantly... where was he going to play?

Many assumed that Devers would be San Francisco's designated hitter, but instead, manager Bob Melvin made the move to put his newest power-hitting acquisition at first base. It was a curious call, as Devers had publicly stated to Boston that he wouldn't move across the diamond after the Sox acquired 2024 Gold Glove winner Alex Bregman from the Houston Astros.

However, Rafael Devers has been more open to the idea of changing positions now that he's in San Francisco. And while he had some misadventures early on, he's been working to get better as a first sacker.

"I think third base is a lot harder," Devers said recently. "But that's why I'm practicing and that's why I'm working every single day to get my grounders out there just to get adjusted to playing first base."

While Melvin always has the option of having Devers serve as the team's DH, the three-time All-Star says he prefers to be on the field for defense.

"It keeps me active. It keeps my head out of just thinking about the next at-bat," he explained. "I'd rather be on the field than in the cage, hitting all the time and thinking about the next at-bat."

Giants will deal with mistakes if it keeps Dever's bat in the lineup

Aug 10, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants first baseman Rafael Devers (16) before the game against the Washington Nationals at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

While Devers will never be mistaken for a Gold Glove winner, he has improved enough that the team can take the good with the bad. Even if he's a subpar fielder, his contributions in the batting order are what the team truly acquired him for.

Initially, Devers had very little confidence in taking over the position, but he says that has gotten better with time and more experience.

"[I was] a little bit anxious and a little bit nervous for a couple of innings, but after that I felt comfortable,” Devers said. “It’s [going to] take a while for me to get adjusted, but that’s normal.”

The Giants (59-61) will need Devers and all his teammates to be rock solid the rest of the way if they expect to make a playoff push. With virtually no chance of catching the division-leading Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco is still in the wild card hunt. They stand at 5.5 games out of the final spot, as they take the field this afternoon against the San Diego Padres.