Rafael Devers Praises Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony For Early Results

Rafael Devers knows the pressure that comes with being a young star in Boston — and he sees that same spotlight shifting to Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer.

When Devers debuted in 2017, he was a 20-year-old batting ninth in a lineup that featured Mookie Betts, Dustin Pedroia and Xander Bogaerts. Now one of the club’s most consistent hitters, Devers is offering praise and advice to two new faces who are already making noise.

“They’ve been great. They’ve made us better,” Devers told Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe following Boston’s 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. “It helps us a lot to have them in the lineup. It helps me, too.”

Mayer homered in his first two at-bats Wednesday night, becoming the youngest Red Sox player with a two-homer game since Devers in 2018. The 22-year-old is 5-for-12 with a double and three home runs in his last 12 at-bats.

At 21, Anthony is the youngest player in the Major Leagues. That puts the duo in rare company, but Devers made it clear Mayer and Anthony are handling the transition well.

“I’d tell both of them not to try to do too much. Just be yourself,” he said. “They’re nasty. They’re good players.”

Devers continues to anchor the lineup as the team’s designated hitter with 14 homers, 57 RBIs and a .910 OPS through 70 games. He is the only Red Sox player to appear in every game this season.

With a day off Thursday and the Yankees coming to town this weekend, the Red Sox are trending upward. Boston has won five of its last seven and is getting contributions across the lineup.