Why Rafael Devers Can Be Offensive Force for Giants at Oracle Park

In Oracle Park, which is notoriously cozy for pitchers, San Francisco Giants slugger Rafael Devers has a bat that translates to the confines.

San Francisco Giants designated hitter Rafael Devers. | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants made one of the boldest moves last year when they traded a group of prospects to the Boston Red Sox for Rafael Devers.

President of baseball operations Buster Posey had a simple goal in making the deal — he was trying to improve the team’s lineup. Led by shortstop Willy Adames, third baseman Matt Chapman and outfielder Heliot Ramos, San Francisco had a significant power shortage at a key position — first base.

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Devers infamously declined to become a first baseman for the Red Sox after he lost his job as a third baseman and was moved to designated hitter. With San Francisco, however, he was agreeable to learning the position while giving the Giants the offense they needed.

In a small sample, Devers proved that he can transform San Francisco’s lineup — even at Oracle Park, which is notoriously unfriendly to hitters.

Rafael Devers at Oracle Park

San Francisco Giants first baseman Rafael Devers | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

After Devers was dealt to San Francisco, the obvious concern was whether his prodigious bat would be an asset in the Bay Area. He ended up playing more games at Oracle (48) than at Fenway Park (39), where he started the season.

In Boston, he slashed .296/.420/.556 with a .977 OPS, including nine home runs and 37 RBI. At the time, he had been displaced from the field and was an everyday designated hitter, thanks to the Red Sox’s signing of Alex Bregman. He is now with the Chicago Cubs.

Once he was sent to the Giants, there was an inevitable adjustment period. His numbers were sluggish to begin with, but those numbers picked up in August or September. He finished with a slash of 234/.351/.474 with an .825 OPS. He finished with 11 home runs and 25 RBI.

Devers ended up hitting 33 home runs, with the remaining 13 at other ballparks. First base was a black hole in terms of power for the Giants and Devers, to some degree last season, filled it. He hit 20 home runs for San Francisco and that was more than the other Giants first baseman combined.

His full season slash of .252/.372/.479 was his lowest since 2018, when he slashed .240/.298/.433 in his first full Major League season. As he enters his age 29 season, there is a likelihood that his slash will be closer to his career average of .276/.349/.506 with 33 home runs and 106 RBI.

Those are the kinds of numbers the Giants will be paying for through the 2033 season, which is the remainder of the $313.5 million, 10-year deal that he originally signed with Boston.