There are bad starts, slumps, and then there’s the rough patch Rafael Devers is currently experiencing. The Boston Red Sox’s 28-year-old All-Star has been a premier hitter since 2019, racking up multiple 30-home run and 100-RBI seasons. However, his initial five games of 2025 have been disastrous.
Devers’ performance has been nothing short of shocking: in the first five games, he has failed to record a hit, accumulating an astonishing number of strikeouts. He started the season by striking out a record number of times for the first three and four games, drawing parallels to previous historical lows in Red Sox lore.
So far, Devers has gone 0-for-19 with 15 strikeouts, breaking the record for the most strikeouts in a season’s first five games, and increasing concerns about his form. The Red Sox have struggled alongside him with a disappointing 1-4 record, and the pressure on Devers is palpable.
The reasons behind Devers’ struggle are being speculated upon. His tumultuous relations with the team’s management regarding his position on the field might be complicating his mental state. Furthermore, after undergoing shoulder rehabilitation during the offseason, his performance metrics have showed significant drops, suggesting he may not be physically at his best yet.
Despite the early season slump, comparisons to previous players who had poor starts do reveal some hope. Historical data shows that some players have managed to recover from similar or worse beginnings, leading to decent overall seasons. While Devers’ strikeout rate is considerably high, other players have turned it around after rocky starts.
Manager Alex Cora acknowledged the small sample size, downplaying the significance of the current struggles as being part of the game. All parties involved hope that one standout game could shift the narrative and help Devers regain his form quickly, as the Red Sox and their fans are anxiously awaiting a turnaround.
