Should Giants Have Any Concerns With Rafael Devers Early Struggles With Team?

There was a lot of intrigue surrounding the San Francisco Giants when it was announced that they had acquired Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox in a shockingly unexpected move.

One of the best hitters in the world, the Giants had visions of inserting him right into the middle of their lineup, helping boost an offense that had been inconsistent all season long.

Devers certainly had the track record to increase expectations on his own, but the start to his tenure in San Francisco has not been as productive as people had hoped it would be.

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Is their newest star okay?

That is the biggest question facing the franchise in the second half of the year in the opinion of Grant Brisbee of The Athletic (subscription required).

“One thing we know about Devers: He has an emotional component to his game. His displeasure with his old organization bled into the start of the regular season, and he was striking out at a record-setting pace. Then he turned his season around with a lot of thumping. Sometimes it takes a bit for his head to clear,” he wrote.

Entering Wednesday, through 30 games and 131 plate appearances, he has produced a measly .227/.336/.345 slash line with two home runs, seven doubles and 11 RBI.

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His OPS+ was at 99 and he had a minus-0.1 bWAR, failing to make the impact everyone knows he is capable of having.

Alas, there could be some legitimate reasons for his struggles beyond the normal obstacles that come along with being traded.

“The pressure hasn’t helped him, and he’s been a dud in his limited time in San Francisco. Back and leg problems might be the culprit more than brain problems, but either way, the Giants still need him. That hasn’t changed,” Brisbee added.

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In a shocking turn of events, the entire San Francisco offense has cratered since Devers was added to it.

His struggles have been under the microscope the most, but he is far from the only player who is failing to live up to expectations currently.

However, he is beginning to show some signs of turning things around, putting together back-to-back games with multiple hits and recording at least one base hit in three straight games.

This led to the star slugger bashing a home run off Spencer Strider on Wednesday against the Atlanta Braves, giving the Giants a 1-0 lead in a game where they had the opportunity to sweep.

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Devers also played first base for the first time with his new team on Tuesday against the Braves when they picked up a dominant 9-0 victory, their first win since the All-Star break.

Could being in the field again be the spark he needs to get back on track at the plate?

The Giants certainly hope so, because his production will be needed to help the team get back into the National League playoff race.

For more Giants news, head over to Giants On SI.