As San Francisco Giants slugger Rafael Devers’ hectic 2025 approaches a disappointing ending, it’s clear that we’ll look back on his ninth big-league season as one of various narratives.
Devers, a three-time All-Star third baseman, opened spring training with the Boston Red Sox by refusing to move to first base or designated hitter. Social media accused Devers of being selfish, and then they switched the narrative to him potentially being “washed” when he began the year hitless in his first 21 at-bats.
It took a couple of weeks, but Devers quickly regained his Silver Slugger form and ended play on June 15 batting .272 with 15 home runs, 58 RBIs, and a .905 OPS. Suddenly, the narrative switched again, as fans and analysts suddenly proclaimed he was back!
Then came the stunning trade that sent Devers to San Francisco, complete with him eventually playing first base for the first time in his professional career. Unfortunately for the Giants, Devers has struggled to find his footing in San Francisco. He enters Wednesday batting .226 with 10 home runs, 26 RBIs, and a .742 OPS across 260 plate appearances for the 64-68 Giants, who sit seven games back of a playoff spot.
However, we’re not ready to write Devers off yet. With the Giants likely to miss the playoffs for the eighth time in nine years, Devers’ new goal should be proving the Red Sox, Giants, and their respective fans wrong.
Rafael Devers still has plenty of time to silence the haters
To be clear, Devers hasn’t had an atrocious season. In fact, Devers’ overall numbers are right in line with his yearly output in Boston; Devers averaged 31 home runs, 96 RBIs, 37 doubles, and a .873 OPS from 2021-24.
Rafael Devers goes oppo 🌮 to tie things up in the Bay! pic.twitter.com/hFJt3q4uIw
— MLB (@MLB) August 12, 2025
Through 133 total games, Devers is hitting .252 with 25 home runs, 84 RBIs, and a .833 OPS. The 28-year-old is reaching base at a career-best .372 clip, and he’s only nine walks away from his first 100-walk campaign. Suddenly, his 2025 doesn’t look so bad, at least when looking at the back of his baseball card.
Giants fans have every right to feel frustrated, though. The Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner mini-dynasty era feels further away each season, and San Francisco has mustered only three playoff wins since the start of 2016. Perhaps the worst part is that the Giants, especially in recent years, haven’t been terrible for most of that stretch.
Outside of their unexpected 107-55 season in 2021, the Giants have finished no worse than four games under .500 every year since the start of 2020. They’re a middle-of-the-pack team, which arguably is worse than being a perennial 100-loss club because they’re far closer to the postseason than they are picking at the top of the MLB Draft.
San Francisco will pay Devers over $250 million through 2033, so he’s not going away anytime soon. A strong September could help Devers erase some of the long-term fears regarding his fit in San Francisco, though. Even if the end result is another missed postseason, at least a Devers power surge might give Giants fans reasons to feel optimistic entering 2026.