Rafael Devers hasn’t looked like a player in a slump for long.
Yes, the overall line is down by his standards: .246/.324/.486 with 29 home runs, 76 RBI and 74 runs in 564 plate appearances. He’s also carrying a 10.5 percent walk rate, a 25.7 percent strikeout rate and a .240 ISO.
For almost anyone else, that would read like a monster season. For Devers, it’s just a notch below the level he’s built over the past decade.
The biggest dip has come in batting average. Devers is hitting .246, well off his career .273 mark, and that’s naturally tugged his on-base percentage down with it. He has, however, done enough in the walk department to soften the blow.
The ugly part of his year came right out of the gate. Through the first month, he posted a .537 OPS across 129 plate appearances. Since then, he’s turned it around in a big way, putting up an .896 OPS in 435 plate appearances.
That’s why Oracle Park doesn’t really look like the culprit here. Devers’ numbers have slipped, but the ballpark itself hasn’t dragged him down. Since the trade in 2025, the left-handed slugger has actually hit better at home than on the road, with an .833 OPS in 476 plate appearances at Oracle Park compared to a .785 OPS in 483 plate appearances away from home.
He gave another reminder of that on Wednesday. Devers drove a two-run homer into McCovey Cove to put the Giants ahead 4-2 against the Cincinnati Reds, and he did it with such ease it looked like he was just playing pepper with the cove.
Then the game took a strange turn. It was canceled after that swing, and the win was awarded to the Reds. A bizarre finish, to be sure, but one that didn’t change the point Devers had already made.
The Giants got the impact bat they were chasing when they made the trade with the Boston Red Sox. With a month still left, Devers should clear 30 homers without much trouble, and he remains the only Giants hitter in Oracle Park history who has shown this kind of power there.
And while his overall numbers still have room to climb back toward his career norms, he’s been moving in that direction for months.
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Duane Kuiper is expected to have major say in who gets that job, which makes this more than a standard broadcast hire for NBC Sports Bay Area. The decision should come down to the networks direction and Kuipers preference, and that kind of arrangement gives the longtime Giants voice unusual influence over how the booth sounds after Krukow steps away. [Read more 🡒]
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Bryce Eldridge and Drew Gilbert are among the players seeing extended playing time as the Giants try to separate future pieces from placeholders. The broad evaluation is straightforward enough, but it still leaves Vitello with one meaningful call to make: which of these young bats and outfield options can justify a bigger role when the offseason roster decisions arrive. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Fans Are Starting To Wonder What Comes Next For Tony Vitello
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For Giants fans, the bigger issue is what kind of support hell have if he gets another season to work with. The article points to the teams recent trades and the state of its prospect base as the backdrop for whatever comes next, which makes this more than just a manager watch. If Vitello is staying, the front offices next moves matter just as much, because the shape of the roster will determine whether this first MLB managerial run becomes a reset or just another chapter in a frustrating stretch. [Read more 🡒]