Rafael Devers is giving the SF Giants exactly the kind of thunder they imagined when they brought him over from the Boston Red Sox last year. Right now, he looks locked in at the plate in a way that makes every trip to the batter’s box feel dangerous. In his last seven games before Sunday’s contest, he has ripped the ball to the tune of .385/.515/1.154 with six home runs and 15 runs batted in.
That surge has done more than just juice the box score. Devers has also been a steady presence for a young group around him, and he has taken the field in every game this season after doing the same last year. For a Giants team trying to avoid losing 100 games, that kind of production has made the end of the season a lot easier to watch.
But the bigger question has not gone away: can Devers keep doing this when the games actually matter?
That’s where the story gets more complicated. Since arriving in San Francisco, he has tended to shine when the Giants are out of the race, but he has not yet shown the same level of force when the pressure is on. Last season offered a pretty clear split.
The Giants acquired Devers in the middle of June, when they were sitting atop the National League West. Not long after, the season started slipping away.
He hit .204/.345/.408 in June and followed that with a .230/.337/.368 line in July, with only two homers. The Giants went 9-15 that month, dropped below .500, and wound up selling off several players at the trade deadline.
Once August arrived, the pressure eased because many around the team figured the season was already lost. That’s when Devers caught fire. He batted .291/.397/.592 with nine home runs and 20 runs batted in during August, and by early September the Giants had climbed back into the mix for an NL Wild Card spot.
They could not hold it together. September cooled off, the Giants finished 81-81, and Devers went .200/.321/.453 with nine homers and 16 runs batted in that month.
So yes, this current heater has been fun. It has made the Giants more watchable and given them a real force in the middle of the lineup.
But the lasting judgment on Devers’ time in San Francisco will come later, if the Giants find themselves in a real playoff chase again. If he can bring this same damage when the stakes are high, then the Giants may finally have the bat they were hoping for.
In Other News...
Giants Future Lineup Suddenly Looks Better Than This Injury Mess
The present-day Giants have spent too much time dealing with injuries to feel settled, which is why any look ahead comes with a little relief baked in. A projected 2027 lineup gives the organization a chance to imagine a more balanced roster, one built around a blend of young pieces and established names that could help San Francisco look less like a survival exercise and more like a club with real shape again.
Drew Gilbert and Jonah Cox are part of that conversation in center, with Bryce Eldridge slotted for first base or designated hitter and a catcher timeshare providing more depth behind the plate. Around them, the idea is that players such as Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman, Willy Adames and Jung Hoo Lee could give the Giants enough proven production to support the younger core if the injury luck finally starts to turn. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Rookie Already Faces One Tough Question About His Role
Matt Wilkinsons first weeks in the Giants rotation have already put a spotlight on how his stuff plays against different types of hitters. The rookie left-hander has shown a clear split in performance, and his recent start against right-handed batters was especially rough, with seven runs and three home runs allowed over three innings. For a club trying to sort out its pitching mix on the fly, those kinds of differences can quickly turn from a short-term hiccup into a bigger conversation about usage.
The Giants are still giving Wilkinson a chance to work as a starter, but the long view could depend on whether those platoon issues stick around. If right-handed hitters continue to give him trouble and lefties remain a better match, the team may have to decide whether his best value is in the rotation or in a more specialized left-on-left role. For now, the rookies place on the staff is secure enough, but the question hanging over him is the kind that can shape a season early. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Fans Have Every Reason To Be Furious Over Tony Vitello
Tony Vitellos early run as Giants manager has already started to take on the kind of edge that can make a season feel louder than it should. In the latest flashpoint against the Mets, Vitello was tossed after disputing a call at the plate, adding another heated moment to a stretch that has already put him squarely in the middle of umpire questions and clubhouse frustration.
The bigger issue for San Francisco is not just one argument, but the pattern that keeps following him. Vitello has already been ejected recently, and the Giants have also dealt with Ron Wotus getting run out of a game the next day in a separate dustup over the lineup card, which only adds to the sense that this team is spending too much time talking about officiating and not enough about baseball. With umpire conduct under scrutiny and the push toward more automated decision-making never far away, the Giants are finding themselves in the middle of a conversation that seems headed for a larger stage. [Read more 🡒]