Rafael Devers' Silver Slugger chase for SF Giants could foreshadow a future MVP run

This season hasn’t exactly been one where it seems like SF Giants players are going to be winning a lot of awards. The team has had a tough year so it wouldn’t be a shock if they don’t come home with any hardware, but their one hope might be Rafael Devers who is making a late-season push to win the Silver Slugger.

FanSided announced the winners of the Louisville Silver Slugger Award last year which goes to the best hitter at each position in both the National League and American League as voted on by MLB managers and coaches. The same will happen this year. Devers probably has a pretty good shot at winning the NL Silver Slugger for first basemen or DH.

That would have been unthinkable back in April, but with how good he has been as of late he may be foreshadowing what a future MVP campaign could look like. If one were to take out the month of April, Devers has hit .273 with 33 home runs and 81 runs batted in.

Even with April included, his numbers are pretty incredible. He’s hitting .258/.340/.518 with 35 homers and 92 runs batted in. There’s a very good chance he reaches 40 homers and 100 runs batted in on the season which would be pretty dang impressive.

The unfortunate thing is he’s doing it in games that don’t really matter, but he has shown more of his leadership skills as he’s tried to help lead this group of young players who currently make up the roster.

If Devers were to have a full season where he was as hot as he’s been the last month, or at least one where he didn’t have a season as bad as April, there’s a good chance he would be in the MVP conversation.

Rafael Devers is proving he could make an NL MVP run in the future

If his batting average is in the .275 range, his OPS is at .900 or higher, and he hits 40 or more homers and over 100 runs batted in then he could definitely have a case. 

He’d probably have to improve defensively at first base to help his overall case. Rarely do players win MVP thanks to their bat alone so if he can at least grade out as average or slightly above average defensively then he could have a real argument.

Ultimately, he may be a bit too streaky of a hitter to put up consistent MVP-level numbers for a full season but if he can at least put up All-Star numbers and help the Giants make it back to the postseason then San Francisco would be very happy.

Winning the Silver Slugger Award wouldn’t be a bad start though. He's already got two of them from his time with the Boston Red Sox. The Giants are going to need this version of Devers going forward, especially if the team is ever in the hunt for the playoffs so we can only hope this foreshadows greater things to come.

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