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Rafael Devers 3rd-Youngest Boston Red Sox Player to Go 4-for-4 or Better
August 1, 2017
Boston Red Sox rookie third baseman Rafael Devers smacked a RBI single to right field to extend the team's lead to 6-0 in the bottom of the seventh inning Tuesday.
All in all, Devers collected four hits—three singles and a double—on the night. The effort made him the third-youngest player in Red Sox history to 4-for-4 or better in a game, per the Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN.com). At 20 years and 280 days old, only Tony Conigliaro (at 19 years, 192 days and 20 years, 101 days) and Babe Ruth (20 years, 165 days) accomplished the same feat at a younger age.
At just 16 years old, Devers inked a contract with the Red Sox in Aug. 2013 that included a $1.5 million signing bonus, per Baseball America. He was rated among the top international prospects, standing 6'1", 215 pounds at the time.
He initially broke the minor league ranks in 2014 but didn't graduate from rookie league baseball until 2015. Devers started at High-A Salem beginning in 2016 and took multiple steps from Double-A to Triple-A and then to the majors all within the 2017 campaign.
Devers was only recently recalled from the minor league ranks, making his major league debut for Boston on July 25 and going hitless with two walks and a run scored in the contest.
While many rookies can have a tough time adjusting to the pitching at the major league level, that hasn't been the case for Devers. He has reached base in each of the five games since his debut, batting .417/.481/1.231 with two home runs and four RBI.
With Pablo Sandoval out the door and Dustin Pedroia on the disabled list, the Red Sox—at least momentarily—have handed the keys to third base over to Devers. If he continues to produce at or near the level he has since breaking into the majors, it may be difficult to send him packing back to Triple-A even when Pedroia is healthy.