How Rafael Devers completely flipped the script and proved he's key to SF Giants' future

Back in June when Rafael Devers openly defied SF Giants manager Tony Vitello in Miami when he was removed for a pinch runner, it wasn’t entirely irrational to think Devers’ time in San Francisco could be coming to an end with the trade deadline just over a month away at the time.

It would have been very difficult to trade him given how much money he is owed and how he struggled in April of 2026. Still, with how bad the Giants were and it seeming like Devers’ poor behavior with the Boston Red Sox was about to rear its ugly head with the Giants, they could have tried to get rid of him somehow even though they would’ve had to pay down a good amount of his contract to do so.

Thankfully, the Giants didn’t do that and since that June incident Devers has completely flipped the script and gone from seeming like an overpaid, potentially problematic, albatross around the team’s neck to seeming like a key part of its future despite the fact that he just went on the IL with a core muscle injury that will end his season prematurely.

So, how did he do it? Well, getting red-hot and being one of the best hitters in the game for a stretch is a pretty great way to get yourself back in the good graces of fans, some of whom understandably turned on Devers after the Miami incident.

He finished the season hitting .258/.340/.525 with 37 home runs and 98 runs batted in. The fact he did that after hitting .207/.248/.289 with two home runs and 11 runs batted in across March and April is remarkable and if he had only had a strong first month he might have even snuck into the NL MVP conversation.

That’s obviously the most important element in how he’s changed the narrative, but if he was slugging but acting like a jerk there would still be a persistent “clubhouse cancer” narrative that some in Boston spoke about. Well, rookie Jonah Cox and others have talked about how much of a leader Devers has been to the young guys even though basically all of the team’s regulars at the start of the year are on the IL or with other teams.

This isn’t anything new, but Devers’ leadership was definitely more visible with Matt Chapman and Willy Adames on the IL. While Devers is never going to be the chummiest guy with the media and there will be times when the guy we saw in Miami pokes through, he’s not a bad teammate and he definitely seems like a good guy to have help some of the younger players coming up. 

Rafael Devers has finally been embraced by Giants fans

Finally, he’s just been on the field. He played in over 300 straight games before he had a day off last week ahead of his IL stint. Say what you will about Chapman, Adames, and Devers but at least they all want to be out there. I don’t think any of them would be at a casino when the Giants are playing like some other players around MLB. 

He’s arguably been the team’s best “iron man” since Hunter Pence which is surprising but if he can stay healthy and on the field and keep hitting dingers for the bulk of the rest of his contract then he will prove that he’s worth all that money.

It’s been a pretty remarkable turnaround in just a few months, but Devers needed it in the worst way since many fans were turning on him. Now he seems an absolute essential if the Giants are to have any hope of contending for the playoffs the rest of this decade. 

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