Rafael Devers' first Giants homer proved to the doubters that he'll thrive in San Fran

New San Francisco Giants slugger Rafael Devers went 0-for-5 in his first game against the Boston Red Sox on Friday night, but it was only a matter of time until the All-Star drew blood. He did so on Saturday, smacking a two-run missile over the left field fence in the bottom of the third inning.

It was a gleeful moment for Giants fans and a moment of profound bitterness for the Red Sox faithful. Of course it was going to happen like this. Brayan Bello and Devers were once considered foundational pieces of Boston's future. Now Bello's development has stalled and Devers is roping dingers for a National League team on the west coast. There's some sort of poetry to this moment.

For Devers, it serves as a resounding rebuttal to those expressing concern over how his hitting profile translates from Fenway Park to Oracle Park. Devers loves to spray extra-base hits all over the field, which makes him uniquely well-suited to Fenway's short walls and that massive Green Monster in left. But when you hit the ball as hard and as frequently as Devers does, it doesn't really matter where you play.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.

Rafael Devers silences those doubting his Giants fit with home run against Red Sox

When asked before the game if he was changing his approach in a new ballpark, Devers flatly rejected the notion. He tends to put balls into the gap with extremely hard contact — in the 96th percentile for hard-hit rate, per Baseball Savant. He views that as more than enough to generate successful outcomes in San Fran.

Oracle is, without a doubt, harder to hit in than Fenway, especially for Devers. He probably won't rack up quite as many doubles. But for a hitter with his talent level, we shouldn't really expect a meaningful decline in overall output. He will still hit home runs. He will still put baseballs out of the defender's reach. And in the end, he will completely transform San Francisco's outlook in a competitive division. It's been a while since the Giants felt like such a live threat in the National League.

This is not what Boston fans want to hear of course. The only salve to a completely bonkers decision from the Red Sox front office is if Devers' production flatlines in his new home. But it won't. Still 28 years old, on the upswing of his career, Devers is bound to put a long and successful second phrase of his career together in a Giants uniform. He's under contract for the next seven years. It won't be too surprising if, by the end of it, he is remembered overwhelmingly as a Giant, not a Red Sox.

Saturday's home run was a statement swing from Devers. It's also a harbinger of more to come in San Francisco.