Bogaerts impressed with Devers’ play
Shortstop believes 20-year-old just “having fun” playing with Red Sox
BOSTON — The Red Sox are old pros when it comes to bringing up a youngster who’s yet to reach the legal drinking age during the height of a playoff race.
When Xander Bogaerts looks at Rafael Devers, the shortstop can’t help but see the similarities between his 2013 introduction to big-league life at the ripe age of 20 and the young and insanely talented Devers, also 20 when he made his Boston baseball debut. The arrival of both players was met with the usual hype surrounding a top minor-league prospect and the risk that the limelight might prove to be too much too soon.
Just like Bogaerts four short years ago, Devers has taken a sledgehammer to the belief that age is nothing more than a number. Time will tell if the 20- year-old version of Devers gets to truly leave his mark like Bogaerts did in 2013 – there’s no grand slam by Shane Victorino in Game 6 of that year’s ALCS had Bogaerts not walked on a close pitch against Max Scherzer.
As far as Devers coming aboard and assimilating so quickly that he’s taken the town by storm, Bogaerts feels the latest future franchise cornerstone is displaying the kind of poise that helps to demystify the belief that some rookies are easily flustered.
“He’s doing exceptionally well for us, better than what we could have expected,” Bogaerts said after a recent Red Sox home game. “He’s just having fun. He came up with the confidence that he’s been having the whole year and it’s just continuing.”
Bogaerts joined the Red Sox after spending 378 games in the minors spread over four seasons. Sixty of those games were with Pawtucket. Compare that to Devers, who logged 399 games in the minor leagues with a mere nine coming in a PawSox uniform.
“Nothing has changed for him,” Bogaerts said. “You talk to him and he’s so confident. That’s a credit to him. He was playing so good down there that he came up here still thinking he’s in Double-A or Triple-A and he’s raking for us right now.”
Bogaerts was asked to take a trip down memory lane to a time in his pro career when the majors represented new and exciting territory. Like Devers, the Red Sox made it quite clear that they weren’t going to put unrealistic expectations on the 2013 version of Bogaerts. The Devers who joined the parent club did so while Boston was on the Seattle leg of a West Coast trip. In 2013, Bogaerts made his debut in San Francisco.
In each instance, Bogaerts and Devers were presented with the opportunity to break in without having to deal with the intense media crush that at times can overpopulate the home clubhouse at Fenway Park. It could be viewed as a blessing in disguise to let the youngsters acquire a feel for MLB life on the road before debuting in front of the Boston fans.
“They come to you as players with not a whole lot of time in Triple-A. They come to you relatively quick and young. They’re young, but they’re both extremely talented,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said when asked to compare/contrast the aura presently surrounding Devers with Bogaerts four years ago.
Bogaerts did not allow the game to speed up for him in 2013. The same can be said for Devers. Back then, Bogaerts didn’t play every day when he first joined the Red Sox. He could watch and pepper questions to three players in particular: Daniel Nava, Johnny Gomes and John McDonald, the Providence College alum who joined the Red Sox 11 days after Bogaerts made his major-league debut.
“It was much easier for me. If I came up and played right away, maybe I would have done good. Maybe I would have done bad,” Bogaerts said. “Just sitting there and watching from the dugout, it was fun and allowed me to see just how fast the game is in the majors.”
Bogaerts in 2013 appeared in back-to-back games twice during the regular season. He didn’t become a regular until Game 4 of the ALCS.
The Red Sox have now played 11 games since Devers made his debut with the youngster appearing in every contest. In no time, third base has gone from a black hole of limited production to a source of strength.
So much for easing the latest 20-year-old Red Sox rookie into the fray.
“(Devers) was performing at a very high clip, but there was also a need. Back (in 2013), I wasn’t needed. We had Stephen Drew (at shortstop) and (Will) Middlebrooks (at third base). Plus, we had a different clubhouse situation. I had a lot of guys who helped me.”
Bogaerts turned 21 on October 1, 2013. Devers won’t celebrate his 21st birthday until this October 24. On October 24, 2013, Bogaerts was getting ready for Game 2 of the Fall Classic.
Bottom line? The Red Sox have once again caught lightning in a bottle when it comes to integrating a 20-year-old at a point in the season when the intensity is significantly ratcheted up. Take it from Bogaerts, who was once in Devers’ shoes.
“It’s cool. What he’s done is pretty impressive. Look at him defensively. He’s so smooth over there. He’s been a big plus,” Bogaerts said. “Sometimes his approach might be to swing for the fences, but he’s definitely injected fresh life into our offense. Life-wise and how hard to play the game … he completely understands it.
“What he’s doing is pretty nice,” Bogaerts added. “Twenty years old and he came as advertised.”