SF Giants stats and record since Rafael Devers trade truly defy belief

While Rafael Devers was the hero for the SF Giants on Wednesday as they took down the Philadelphia Phillies to get a much-needed series win, prior to that game things were going the wrong direction for him and the team. A couple of stats show how that has really been the case ever since the Giants acquired him in a blockbuster trade with the Boston Red Sox last June.

Josh Dubow of the Associated Press shared some jarring information on social media regarding Devers and the Giants Tuesday morning:

"Since Rafael Devers made his debut for the Giants, the team has the 6th worst record in the majors (43-58) and has scored the 7th fewest runs per game."

Rafael Devers era has been a struuggle for the SF Giants thus far

Those numbers are difficult to digest because at the time of the trade, Devers seemed to be exactly what San Francisco's lethargic offense needed. Yet, his struggles and the team's at large are a reminder that baseball doesn't always make sense and that one player cannot cover a team's flaws.

Since that post though, the Giants won two straight games and the offense, including Devers, finally showed some signs of life. Maybe Devers saw it and it motivated him or, more likely, he was just due to finally come through.

It had been a struggle for Devers coming into Wednesday’s game. Entering that contest he was slashing .196/.260/.283 and had just one homer on the year and two runs batted in.

He hit a huge three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to break the tie game and then drove in another run in the bottom of the eighth to provide some added insurance. It was the type of game he really needed so he can start going in the right direction at the plate.

Keep in mind that his numbers after getting traded to the Giants last season were not all that great. He was in the lineup every day for the team, but he hit .236/.347/.460 with 20 homers and 51 runs batted in.

Many reasoned that with 2026 being his first full year in San Francisco after the jarring adjustment of coming over from Boston to a new team and new ballpark he would get back to his usual production. 

That’s why so many alarms were going off with his slow start, but maybe his big game on Wednesday is just what he needed to get hot.

The Giants really need him, Matt Chapman, and Willy Adames to pull their weight this season. The Giants have a ton of money invested in those guys so if they do not play up to their potential then it is hard to see how the Giants will end up having a very good season.

The Devers era in San Francisco has still gotten off to a pretty rocky start, but one can only hope the tides have shifted and it is smooth sailing from here on.