Red Sox Star Rafael Devers Earns MLB Award Amid Sizzling Stretch

Lost in all of the drama surrounding Rafael Devers is that the Red Sox designated hitter is locked in at the plate.

So much so that he earned an MLB award Monday for his recent offensive onslaught.

Devers was named the American League Player of the Week after going 10-for-21 with two home runs, eight RBIs and a 1.386 OPS. His .476 batting average and .577 on-base percentage led all AL hitters, as did his OPS while his eight RBIs were tied for the league lead.

Devers got off to a slow start to begin last week, but found his groove in the batter’s box beginning on the last game of the homestand, which coincidentally enough was the day he made his polarizing remarks about refusing to play first base. The series finale against the Texas Rangers started a stretch in which Devers drove in a run in four straight games.

The left-handed slugger really turned it on during Boston’s two road wins over the Kansas City Royals. Devers went 4-for-4 with three RBIs in Saturday’s 10-1 triumph before providing the game-deciding runs in Sunday’s contest via a towering, 440-foot two-run home run.

The Red Sox certainly will take the elite production from Devers, even with it coming as the team’s DH and not as Boston’s first baseman.