Rafael Devers is the master of the smash. He led the Major Leagues with 252 hard-hit balls (95-plus mph) last season.
In Game 1 of a seven-inning doubleheader on Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park -- which the Red Sox lost, 6-5, on a walk-off two-run single by Alec Bohm -- Devers took it to a level that he hadn¡¯t reached before.
The slugger belted a laser beam of a home run off of a sign in right field that left his bat with an exit velocity of 116.5 mph, per Statcast. That blast took place in the top of the third and traveled a projected distance of 416 feet.
¡°I think he¡¯s hot right now and he¡¯s hitting the ball good," said Red Sox lefty Mart¨ªn P¨¦rez. "He¡¯s got amazing power and he can hit, he just needs to trust and believe in himself. He¡¯s been doing a lot of things over the years and he¡¯s a great player. It¡¯s fun when he goes to home plate and hits the ball 400 feet away. Happy for him.¡±
Perhaps inspired by the frozen rope from Devers, the Sox put on a power display in Game 1. Alex Verdugo (109.5 mph, 423 feet) hit a rocket in the fifth. Then, Devers followed his teammate by unloading for his second of the day -- this one leaving his bat at 108.8 mph and traveling 417 feet -- to get Boston within a run.
Bobby Dalbec, the club's No. 3 prospect, tied it up in the sixth with an impressive homer to left (105.9 mph, 425 feet). That was the fourth homer for Dalbec in the first eight games of his career.
¡°Yeah, I think he¡¯s chasing less, seeing the ball better,¡± said Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke. ¡°It was a breaking ball that he hit out. It¡¯s good for him to see the ball that way, and like we said, if he just makes contact, he does a lot of damage.¡±
But Devers is the one who did the most damage.
For good measure, Devers put the Red Sox in the lead with an RBI double in the sixth that went off the wall in right field, escaping the reach of a leaping Bryce Harper.
There was a lot to choose from for Boston¡¯s offensive highlight reel in this game, including a 4-for-4 performance by Christian V¨¢zquez.
But the first homer by Devers stood out among the rest. It was the hardest Devers has put a ball in play in his career. It was the fifth-hardest-hit ball in MLB this season. It was the second-hardest-hit homer by a Red Sox player since Statcast started tracking in 2015. Hanley Ramirez belted the hardest at 117.5 mph on April 11, 2018.
¡°The high fastball on the first homer was something that he¡¯s been chasing too much of,¡± said Roenicke. ¡°But that thing was really hit. So we¡¯re seeing really good things from him.¡±?
The in-season rebound by Devers has been impressive.
On Aug. 13, Devers showed up at the ballpark with a .167 average, two homers and three RBIs in 60 at-bats.
In the ensuing 99 at-bats, Devers is slashing .323/.374/.626 with seven homers and 25 RBIs.
¡°Yes, and he¡¯s still probably not as consistent as he was last year for a long period of time, but it¡¯s really good to see,¡± Roenicke said.
Despite this rough season for Boston, the 23-year-old Devers is a reason the Red Sox should feel good about the future. Verdugo and Dalbec should accompany him in the lineup for years to come, not to mention star shortstop Xander Bogaerts.