This story was excerpted from Ian Browne’s Red Sox Beat e-newsletter. To learn the complete e-newsletter, click on right here. And subscribe to get it commonly in your inbox.
When Rafael Devers smashed profession homer No. 150 at Fenway Park on May 4, it wasn’t just a few spherical quantity.
If you dig a bit of deeper, it serves as an indication of the harm Devers is more likely to do over the course of his profession with the Red Sox, which may put him within the pantheon of the franchise’s nice hitters.
By belting No. 150 in profession sport No. 721, Devers was the third-fastest participant to get to 150 for Boston.
The solely two to get there sooner have plaques on the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. Ted Williams received there in 664 video games, and Jim Rice did it in 711 video games.
“The Splendid Splinter” and “Jim Ed” spent their total careers in Boston. Devers, who has a 10-year contract extension that begins subsequent season, has an opportunity to do the identical.
“It’s cool to be mentioned with those names any time,” stated Devers. “This is a franchise that I want to spend the rest of my career with, and to keep putting more numbers up along the way is great, and it’s always good to be mentioned with those two.”
One can surprise how far Devers will climb atop Boston’s all-time dwelling run chart earlier than his profession ends. Williams is the all-time chief at 521. David Ortiz is available in subsequent at 483, then Carl Yastrzemski, at 452. Given that Devers isn’t 27 but, he has a powerful shot to at the least make the highest three. After Yastrzemski is Rice at 382, then Dwight Evans at 379 and Manny Ramirez at 274.
“I just want to ask God for health first so I can continue doing what I can and accomplish goals,” Devers stated. “Being mentioned in the same breath as guys like David Ortiz and Jim Rice is amazing, and I’m just trying to be a good example, just like those guys were.”
If Devers has a profession variety of dwelling runs in thoughts, he doesn’t want to disclose it.
“But you know, as a baseball player, everyone dreams of being up there in the rankings. And hopefully, I have that kind of career,” Devers stated.
Content Source: www.mlb.com